Bonfire

[Sophiesmummy20]

Can I report my neighbour for having a bonfire if the smoke blows onto our property? What actions would be taken if I did?

She had one over Easter burning huge amounts of garden waste, the smoke was thick and black and made my house smell for days even with doors and windows closed. It was close to my fence and she refused to move it away so I had to keep watch for the whole day to ensure it didn’t spread, as she wasn’t supervising it herself. My daughter was in her pool at the time but she had to go inside due to the smoke. It lasted 9 hours.

She has now set up another bonfire, close to my fence. It’s a nice day but windy, we are enjoying the garden and it seems it’ll be short lived. I can’t help feeling like it is deliberate as we’d asked her to stop with the previous bonfire, the waste she has would be enough to fill a garden waste bin easily so imo not enough to warrant a bonfire.

I have asthma and I’m overdue with my second baby so it’s causing me stress to think of bringing home a newborn to a house smelling of smoke and potentially causing damage to the fences and our property if it gets out of control. We have guinea pigs that I will also have to make space for inside as I worry the smoke can be harmful to them or if their hutch catches alight. Her garden is only 20ft square, but she has a larger side garden she could do it in yet she refuses.

Are we (people in general) really expected to be ok with private bonfires because they aren’t illegal!? Why can’t it be bagged up and disposed of considerately without causing pollution and upsetting neighbours.
Sorry for the rant, my nesting is making me go into overdrive and the smoke will tip me over the edge.

[recycledteenager24]

i'd call non emergancy police for advice. near a fence is never a good idea and me being me would have put the hose on a black smokey one.
speak to council environmental if it's regular though.
your neighbour is an awkward c fer obviously.

[recycledteenager24]

minor thing, it's good you are bringing your piggies in too.

[LuckyAmy1986]

Call the environmental health department at your local council. But start making a record and take photos.

[Sophiesmummy20]

Thanks for replies, are they likely to come out while it’s happening or do they write to them? I feel like this will be a regular thing as she lets her garden get very overgrown with weeds and overhanging trees before maintaining it.

[twoshedsjackson]

It may depend on where you live, but there are certainly regulations against it where I live, and I can't see other councils taking a very different view. Check the council website; you may find there are contact details there which could be useful. And in the meantime, as LuckyAmy1986 advises, start keeping a record of what is happening.

[recycledteenager24]

make those phone calls too op, a near neighbour did this, burning something and the smoke was acrid and black. the fire brigade were called and the fire put out with fire hose.
the local kids loved allthe activity

[FloydWasACat]

Our new neighbours had a bonfire that lasted for nearly 30 hours recently (no exaggeration). They were burning household waste in an old huge bin which had been there for years in the garden. The amount of abuse I got when we finally said can you put that out now was unbelievable. They had been there for a week I think. Pretty sure we heard an explosion at one point. The smoke was acrid and awful.
Funnily enough, neighbourly relationship is not at it's best at the moment.

[LakieLady]

You could report her to the council's environmental health department who may write to her saying that her bonfires are causing a nuisance and she needs to stop disposing of garden waste by burning.

I also thought that they were currently banned because of Covid and the risk of causing breathing problems in people who are unwell.

We've hacked down a huge overgrown hedge and are taking it to the tip, bit by bit. I'd love to burn the bloody lot, but I'm not going to.

[Sophiesmummy20]

It’s completely selfish, I’d prefer to lug it all to the tip or use a garden waste bin than inflict smoke on my neighbours, glad it isn’t just me who feels this way.
We have no relationship with her either due to many issues we’ve had since moving here, this is just another problem on a long list from her so I’m convinced she thinks up ideas to annoy us.
It’s now raining heavily so hopefully that will hold it off a bit longer, but she has burnt lots of wet wood previously according my ndn so I doubt it’ll deter her!