As we were driving to the Burning It Smart workshop last Monday, I glanced around at the different houses to see if there was smoke coming out of the chimneys. There were quite a few chimneys with smoke coming out of them. At that point I didn’t know 100% if smoke coming out of the chimney was a good thing or a bad thing.
The Burning It Smart workshop was a great way to be educated about how to efficiently burn wood in a fireplace. There were a few important things to consider when using a wood stove. However, I learned that one of the most important things about burning firewood is to make sure the wood is seasoned, which means it is dry.
There are three reasons for burning seasoned wood. The first reason is, burning dry wood saves you money on wood because you are not wasting your wood on boiling the water out of the wood. The second reason is, burning dry wood puts less particulate (pollution) into the atmosphere. And the third reason, which is the most important, is, burning dry wood is safer. When burning wet wood, a person increases the amount of creosote in their chimney, which can lead to a chimney fire.
It would be great if everyone educated themselves on the most efficient method of using their wood stove so they can save money, reduce pollution and possibly save lives.
Regena Bergen,
Valemount, BC
