Agency offers seminars on proper wood burning

A series of free seminars on how to burn wood properly indoors will be offered on Saturdays for the next four weeks.

The Spokane Regional Clean Air Agency is putting on the seminars to teach people how to get more heat out of their wood; how to send less smoke into the air; and how to burn safely.

“Dry seasoned wood is a key to an efficient fire and the seminar will cover how to tell if your wood is properly seasoned,” according to a press release from the agency.

Wood burning becomes a significant source of air pollution during the heating season, so the clean air agency has an interest in getting residents to burn cleanly.

If pollution levels build, then the agency has the power to enforce wood-burning bans. Residents who burn during the ban or who let too much smoke escape into the air can be fined $200 for a first offense.

The “Burn It Smart, Burn It Safe” seminars will all run from 11 a.m. to noon.

The first one is Saturday at the Fireplace Center, 8119 N. Division Street.

That will be followed by seminars on Oct. 30 at Spokane Chimney, 1121 N. Freya Way; Nov. 6 at Falco’s, 9310 E. Sprague Ave., and Spokane Fireplace & Patio, 27 W. Boone Ave.; and Nov. 13 at Spokane Chimney, 1121 N. Freya Way.

The burning information hot line is (509) 477-4710.

For more information on wood burning, call the agency at (509) 477-4727 for a complimentary DVD or brochure.