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Original poster

What’s the point in bonfires?!

32 replies

PonkyPonky · 04/06/2024 15:33

I’m interested to know your reasons if you’re a regular bonfire haver. I don’t mean if you live on a farm in the middle of nowhere and it affects no one. But if you live in a built up area with lots of surrounding houses, why do you think it’s a good idea to have bonfires in summer when everyone has their windows open and washing on the line? I’ve come home to a house that stinks of smoke and a whole load of washing that’s going to have to be re-washed. It’s a neighbour over the road and the smoke is still billowing out from their garden.
There are other options for garden waste, the tip or starting a compost heap or your green bin if you care to pay for it. I have never, in all my years of being an adult, felt the need for a bonfire. Why does anyone need to? It’s polluting. It’s selfish. People have breathing difficulties such as asthma, COPD etc etc.
AIBU to think they should just be banned?

OP posts:
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Overtheatlantic · 04/06/2024 20:23

Can you try to club with your neighbors on a pollution objection order? We can do it in Oxford I think.

Overtheatlantic · 04/06/2024 19:12

I take care of two hedgehogs so my neighbor, with a car, can do one.

StripedPiggy · 04/06/2024 18:56

Burning stuff is fun. There’s just something primevally satisfying about it. Human make fire!🔥

ElephantsDontReadFantasy · 04/06/2024 18:54

I think you’re right @PonkyPonky, I absolutely wouldn’t have a no fire if I weren’t so isolated. Is it not classed as anti social behaviour beyond a certain point?

Original poster
PonkyPonky · 04/06/2024 17:50

MereDintofPandiculation · 04/06/2024 17:45

Most of the stuff you would burn would take years and years to rot down in a domestic compost heap. Might rot down if shredded first, but then you'd have the noise of the shredder to live with.

Bonfires are for all the twigs, evergreens and invasive weeds like nettles. I'm always careful to check if neighbours have washing out first. Nettles would be better used to make liquid fertiliser wouldn't they? How do you stop them smoking?

Lots of talk about banning wood stoves. I'd be very annoyed if they did that without first banning BBQs

Show quote history

I’m surprised at the talk of banning wood stoves to be honest. Lots of our neighbours have them and I’ve never once caught a single whiff of smoke. BBQ’s are definitely way more smokey but they only smoke for 15 minutes ish so don’t really bother me in the same way an all day bonfire does. Bonfires smoke out the whole flipping town! I have a huge garden and I have never once felt the need to light anything on fire in it. I am interested in the reasons why people have them but I have to say nothing so far has made me think it’s an acceptable thing to do in a densely populated area.

OP posts:
ElephantsDontReadFantasy · 04/06/2024 17:48

If they ban wood stoves I’d be surprised. There are lots of rural areas reliant on oil delivery where in winter your fire is your back up heat source. After Arwen thousands of homes round us had no electricity for weeks and so no boilers were working. The fires made life bearable.

MereDintofPandiculation · 04/06/2024 17:45

PonkyPonky · 04/06/2024 15:41

DIY compost heap = free and doesn’t piss anyone off

Show quote history

Most of the stuff you would burn would take years and years to rot down in a domestic compost heap. Might rot down if shredded first, but then you'd have the noise of the shredder to live with.

Bonfires are for all the twigs, evergreens and invasive weeds like nettles. I'm always careful to check if neighbours have washing out first. Nettles would be better used to make liquid fertiliser wouldn't they? How do you stop them smoking?

Lots of talk about banning wood stoves. I'd be very annoyed if they did that without first banning BBQs

pictoosh · 04/06/2024 17:25

Tell you what I don't like though...disposable barbeques scorching and littering the countryside just so people can have a bloody burger at the beautiful, natural place.
Ban them first. They're much worse.

Sahara123 · 04/06/2024 17:23

PonkyPonky · 04/06/2024 15:41

DIY compost heap = free and doesn’t piss anyone off

Show quote history

But you don’t burn stuff that goes onto a compost heap ie fruit and veg peelings do you ?

pictoosh · 04/06/2024 17:22

Love a bonfire.
Shame people are so against them.
I like the smell of woodsmoke. I don't care if my neighbour has one while my washing is out.
I don't own the fucking world.

mitogoshi · 04/06/2024 17:22

Depends on your garden size, I had a 1/3 acre garden with lots of trees, if a tree came down in wind we would chop and store for the fire (drying takes a year) but we got way too much kindling to use plus too much for taking to the tip. We had an annual bonfire, usually during Glastonbury one evening and listening to music. Once a year after 5pm is less antisocial than BBQ's frequently!

Martha877 · 04/06/2024 17:21

Councils make it difficult to dispose of waste responsibly

Houseplanter · 04/06/2024 17:18

If you're going to ban bonfires you also need to ban fire pits and barbecues.

Not sure that would be popular

PassingStranger · 04/06/2024 17:15

Pipecleanerrevival · 04/06/2024 15:57

Bonfires are awesome and pretty. crack open a beer and enjoy.

Not in the middle of the day when your hanging your washing out or sitting in the garden they are not.

Againname · 04/06/2024 16:51

I agree they're really antisocial in built-up areas.

Separately a lot of hedgehogs are harmed or killed by them. It's possible to reduce those risks though and if anyone cares there's information on how to do this on various wildlife and hedgehog charity websites

There's some info here

https://www.wildlifetrusts.org/actions/how-check-your-bonfire-hedgehogs

How to check your bonfire for hedgehogs | The Wildlife Trusts

We can all take steps to protect hedgehogs on bonfire night. Follow our 4 steps to make sure you keep hedgehogs safe.

https://www.wildlifetrusts.org/actions/how-check-your-bonfire-hedgehogs

blablasmthsmth · 04/06/2024 16:44

Pipecleanerrevival · 04/06/2024 15:57

Bonfires are awesome and pretty. crack open a beer and enjoy.

This! I love a bonfire but have never made one of my own as I'm too scared 😅 but I love being invited to bonfires or walking down the street and smelling them!

ThursdayTomorrow · 04/06/2024 16:40

Pipecleanerrevival · 04/06/2024 15:57

Bonfires are awesome and pretty. crack open a beer and enjoy.

This.

ThursdayTomorrow · 04/06/2024 16:40

I love bonfires. Love the smell, they are great fun and an easy way to dispose of garden rubbish.

FrenchandSaunders · 04/06/2024 16:38

What about fire pits? We lit ours the other evening as it was getting chilly, and I did worry about neighbours open windows etc. We try and burn the 'smokeless' logs but they don't always seem smokeless to me.

daffodilandtulip · 04/06/2024 16:38

AngelicInnocent · 04/06/2024 16:35

We have 5 acres. The council doesn't allow more than 1 garden waste bin. We compost mown grass but burn all the hedge cuttings etc.

We time them according to wind direction to stop it bothering our neighbours but occasionally, the wind changes once its already lit.

I think that's perfectly fine.

It's the people who have 0.0005 acres and set a fire right next to the neighbours fence and washing and windows, that's antisocial.

AngelicInnocent · 04/06/2024 16:35

We have 5 acres. The council doesn't allow more than 1 garden waste bin. We compost mown grass but burn all the hedge cuttings etc.

We time them according to wind direction to stop it bothering our neighbours but occasionally, the wind changes once its already lit.

Meadowfinch · 04/06/2024 15:58

Incidentally, thanks to council cuts, our local tip is a 34 mile round trip, and I have to book a slot in advance.

So not really a practical option for regular disposal.

Pipecleanerrevival · 04/06/2024 15:57

Bonfires are awesome and pretty. crack open a beer and enjoy.

ElephantsDontReadFantasy · 04/06/2024 15:54

I fit in your “rural middle of nowhere group” and I do it because our garden is huge, it’s the best way to get rid of the waste, and garden waste bins don’t exist round here. I compost what’s appropriate and chop larger wood for the stove. No brown bins though and the tip is miles away. The neighbours sometimes come and toast marshmallows with us which is nice.

GinToBegin · 04/06/2024 15:49

A neighbour some years ago was always either building a bonfire or actually burning one. Pretty sure he was a pyromaniac. He once asked another (lovely) neighbour for anything he could put on a bonfire. Lovely neighbour said she’d only got some telephone directories, which wouldn’t burn. Apparently he looked her in the eye and said ‘everything burns’. He was a strange lad.

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