Maricopa County Air Quality Department kicks off 'No Burn Day? Don't Burn Wood!' winter campaign

Officials from the Maricopa County Air Quality Department and Arizona Department of Environmental Quality announced the kickoff of the “No Burn Day? Don’t Burn Wood!” campaign for Maricopa County this past Thursday, Dec. 12.

Wood-burning fireplaces and chimineas often are the primary culprits in creating quantities of smoke during the winter — most commonly during Christmas Eve and Christmas Day and New Year’s Eve and New Year’s Day — that violate state and federal health standards.

These conditions pose a serious health threat to children with asthma, the elderly and those with respiratory issues. The particles can be absorbed into the blood stream and decrease lung function, exacerbate bronchitis and asthma and increase chances for heart attacks and premature death.

Another concern is if the PM2.5 (smoke) problem is not corrected, Maricopa County will fall out of attainment with federal health standards, which means more burdensome and costly regulations and the potential for the federal government to implement its own plan.

In a press conference at the State Capitol attended by a number of legislative, public health and municipal officials last Thursday, ADEQ Air Quality Division Director Eric Massey said that the problem is related to communication and is something that we can control.
“The high concentrations that we experience during the holidays are the direct result of all the wood burning that happens throughout the community,” 

Massey said.  “While we commonly call for No Burn days during the holidays, we tend to call them at the last minute.  This means many people already have plans or don’t know that they shouldn’t burn.”

Maricopa County Air Quality Department Director Bill Wiley agreed and pointed to the added benefit that voluntary compliance brings.