Bonfires

Our neighbours have been having very frequent bonfires. Huge plumes of smoke, constantly fuelled, and they have plenty of piles of wood left. Wondering whether this is legal to begin with, let alone in our current climate. Nobody wants an asthma attack on top of Covid-19.

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That’s pretty anti-social at best, especially as gardens are a pretty valuable resource in the current situation.

Have you tried contacting your neighbour (from a safe distance!) first?

Otherwise the council info on bonfires is here:

Tough one as a lot of people are replacing fences and cutting trees at the moment. As far as i know its if its just wood they’re burning i’ts fine to do so.

Is it legal to burn a treated fence?

At least ask them to burn at night as most people would like to be in the garden during the day.

Looks like your neighbour to the right is about to have one as well.

You can only burn clean wood so timber that’s treated with paint is a no no. Also it cannot be green so fresh cuttings, trees etc is a no as they produce a lot more smoke.

Nope

Ugh yeah, think it was decking they were burning so would have been treated. Now there’s somebody in my communal garden burning green cuttings! Maybe it’s really normal and I’ve just never thought to be annoyed about it before haha. I love the smell of smoke so I’ve got the window open- just feel bad for people with respiratory problems

Unfortunately we’re going to get more and more rubbish burnings as councils cut back on collections.

Last week my wife was self isolating in a room in our house, and is thankfully out of isolation now.

During this time she had high fever and wanted the windows open in her room, but one day someone \ people decided to burn something that smelt awful and made her lungs and breathing worse. No idea who it was or when it came from.

It would be great if at this time when many people will need to isolate and can’t leave their house if people (who may not realise the impact) thought that this virus affects people’s breathing and open fires like this will only make it worse for some people, especially as we move to hopefully warmer weather.

I suspect this is just a case of not realising the impact, but there is one.

\ no idea if my wife had the virus or not in the end, fever and coughing (not dry) but who knows.

Evening all,

The National Fire Chiefs Council (NFCC) and Local Government Association (LGA) issued a note earlier today urging the public and businesses not to burn general and garden waste during the COVID-19 outbreak.

The reasons for this are two fold.

1, The nuisance caused to neighbours and impact on health.
2, The additional pressure on Fire Services if such fires get out of hand.

Fire and Rescue services are working hard across the country to support the NHS and local communities to aid the elderly and vulnerable, at the same time as responding to emergencies.

In recent weeks some fire and rescue services have seen a rise in the number of outdoor fires they are being called out to and this is ​putting additional strain on services.

C. Haddock

https://www.nationalfirechiefs.org.uk/News/fire-chiefs-and-lga-urge-public-and-businesses-not-to-burn-waste-following-rise-in-open-fires/249743

The moment I put my washing out. Literally within seconds. I hadn’t even finished hanging it up. On goes a neighbour’s barbecue. Billows of smoke.

So depressed. Can’t even sit out now and having to keep windows shut and washing inside on a clothes horse trying to catch a bit of sun through the windows. I fear this is going to be standard for this summer.

I sympathise. As if having to queue for 25 minutes to get into the Co-op wasn’t enough somebody in the area lit what smelt like a bonfire, although I guess it could have been a BBQ!

Do you have a hose… I reckon that’s within range…

Thing is, it is warm. People have been cooped up inside. A BBQ is a natural way of getting some sunshine and a meal. I will be having one tomorrow night. Embrace the sunshine.

I was trying to embrace the sunshine. This wasn’t an evening barbecue. This was 3pm this afternoon. If last summer is anything to go by they will be barbecuing every day now.

I can’t go out because I have a health condition that makes me very vulnerable. This was my first chance to get some air in weeks, as it’s been too cold to sit in the garden since I’ve been unable to go walkabout. I put a cup of coffee on the garden table and started to hang up the washing. That was it. Smoked out. I didnt even get to sit down. My sunny afternoon was spent inside, with the wet washing and with the windows shut.

And again. Same people. Same time as yesterday. Another smoky barbecue. I fear this will be the daily routine.

We’ve just had to close all our windows due to someone having a bonfire. Thankfully I had already got the washing in. It’s really not fair on a nice day like this when people are trying to get some fresh air after being cooped up.

Out of interest, how do people feel about the current council rules regarding bonfires (they are legal, but considered anti-social. Persistent offenders can be fined up to £20,000)?

I’d ban them (except for the week around Nov 5th) if you have neighbours within 100ft or so… that would probably ban them for most people in London.

I don’t mind BBQs as in theory, the fire should die down to coals reasonably quickly to cook. But really don’t like firepits in urban gardens on nights when it’s stuffy enough that people want windows open…

Thanks to the neighbour in Sunderland Road (or possibly in Church Rise whose gardens back on to Sunderland Road gardens) who thinks it’s acceptable to light a bonfire after 11pm! At first I was concerned something in my flat was burning as the smell was pretty strong, but having checked everywhere when I opened one of my windows fully the air was full of smoke then realised my windows were locked on the slightly open setting and as soon as I opened one of the windows it was obvious what the smell was. No consideration given to those who have bedroom windows open at this time of year…

I’ve heard people say that it is MORE acceptable to burn at night, and they wouldn’t dream of doing it in the daytime.

People may not be sitting in their gardens or have their windows wide open at night but many have at least a bedroom window open at night and when it’s windy as it was yesterday more thought should be given to where the smoke will go! In addition today is the fortnightly collection day for black bins in Sunderland Road so all bins are collected so there should not have been a reason for anything to be burnt?

I think it is dangerous to have a bonfire at night. If it is left unattended and spreads some people might not spot it.

The Lewisham Council website advises against bonfires due to Covid-19.

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We had an issue with one of our neighbours lighting a bonfire every week last year, and I called the council environmental team. They came out the same day, took a look a the fire and spoke to the neighbours who stopped immediately. So yes, definitely contact them if you have a persistent issue.

Thanks - the problem is I can’t identify which property it is as there are tall trees in full leaf in each of the neighbouring gardens!

One of my neighbours is currently having a Thursday lunchtime bbq… as I’m currently working from home and on a laptop 9hrs a day and it’s quite hot today it’s somewhat annoying and antisocial as my house now smells of smoke and I’ve had to shut the windows.

I feel for you!

@Suze Is your solution to banning BBQs? Maybe smelly restaurants as well?

If I was supreme world leader then yes I would…

Personally I would ban instant light BBQ briquettes/charcoal. Smokey cr@p stuff. That’s most of the issue with smoke/BBQ.

Get some eco firelighters, a good chimney starter and sustainability sourced briquettes or charcoal. Good heat, no smoke.

And a beer, get beer. Lots of beer!

Very true words.

One of my neighbours has been having a few BBQs lately, and there’s rarely much smoke and it smells so good that I often get my BBQ out too.

I found the sustainable charcoal from Kew (BB-Kew, haha!) good stuff, though not been there of late: https://www.kew.org/read-and-watch/sustainable-charcoal-wakehurst-woodland I also like the little waxy woodshaving firestarters too, in a chimney starter.

Back to the original topic, a different neighbour a few houses further over had a habit of burning waste paper and plastic in a small bonfire in their yard which was pretty foul and annoying. I would certainly ban bonfires in cities if I were supreme world leader!

Burning plastic ?!*! - give me strength

Burning plastic produces cyanide gas.