What's the Punishment For Burning Wood on Spare the Air Day?

You are so busted

​Today, for those who care to know, is a Spare the Air Day. In communicating this news, the Bay Area Air Quality Management District used terms such as "illegal" when describing the burning of wood -- and noted that locals "must" not do so.

As that vocabulary would imply, this isn't just a suggestion. Failure to adhere to the mandate to not set wood aflame can cost you $400. That's been the law of the land since 2008 -- and a full eight people have felt the burn after burning wood.

Of course, that's not a lot of lawbreakers. But, explains Air Quality Management District spokeswoman Kristine Roselius, you've got to be very headstrong or stupid -- or both -- to get busted. First, you've got to get caught in a documented act of burning wood on a Spare the Air Day. Then you get a letter from the District explaining why this is environmentally undesirable. Then you've got to get caught again to be out the $400. "We have very few repeat offenders," she says.

Yeah. Like eight of them.



Incidentally, while "burning wood, firelogs, pellets, or any other solid fuels in your fireplace, woodstove, or other wood-burning device is illegal" barbecue grills are not. So, if you must burn something, slap a grill and a steak on top of it.

You're still an asshole. But you get to keep your $400.

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