PHOENIX (AP) - People celebrating the New Year’s holiday in metro Phoenix won’t be able to legally use wood-burning fireplaces or start bonfires.
Environmental regulators say people in Maricopa County are barred from starting wood-burning fires on both Saturday and Sunday as pollution levels are expected to exceed federal health standards. Those who violate the rules risk being ticketed.
The restrictions include bans on wood in fireplaces and outdoor fire pits. Gas and electric heaters are allowed.
A team of five or six inspectors will respond to complaints about wood burning. First-time violators will receive a warning, while repeat offenders can face fines of up to $250 per violation.
“We prefer not to fine folks,” said Bob Huhn, a spokesman for county environmental regulators. “What we would really want to do is educate and increase awareness.”
Regulators said illegal wood-burning carries real-life consequences for people and the county.
Smoke and soot from wood-burning pose risks to people with asthma and other respiratory ailments. The county could face fines, loss of federal funding and tougher regulations such as more no-burn days if found to have violated federal standards.
Authorities say fireworks use during the holiday is legal, but they urged people to show moderation. Ground-level smoke from fireworks worsens the air quality.
“While you can do these activities, it can quite literally affect the health of your neighbors,” said Timothy S. Franquist, director of the Arizona Department of Environmental Quality’s air quality division.
South and west Phoenix, where pollutant levels during the holiday have traditionally been high, are particular areas of concern for regulators. Both areas have older homes that tend to have wood-burning fireplaces, and holiday bonfires are popular in some of the neighborhoods there.
The highest level of pollutants will likely appear in the hours leading into Saturday night and Sunday morning. Rain showers on Sunday morning are expected to clear out pollutants and improve air quality.
No-burn restrictions are ordered when stagnant air and winter inversions trap pollution close to the ground.
A year ago, regulators imposed the restrictions on New Year’s Eve and New Year’s Day, and the metro area exceeded health standards on both days.
State regulators also issued a high pollution advisory for the Nogales area on Saturday and Sunday. It’s unclear whether no-burn restrictions have been ordered in Nogales.
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Follow Jacques Billeaud at twitter.com/jacquesbilleaud. His work can be found at https://bigstory.ap.org/content/jacques-
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