Smoke smell

[TSSDNCOP]

We have come home from an afternoon/evening with friends. On arriving home our house stinks of smoke. It’s so bad we left DS at the door whilst we ran around checking everywhere we could for trace of fire. Nothing.

It’s the smell of woodsmoke rather than electrical or chemical. There is no smell at all outside.

We share a wall and chimney stacks with our neighbour, and the only conclusion I now have is that he’s lit wood fires tonight that have in turn made our house smell like a bonfire. He isn’t answering the door.

Fire is my number one fear. I’ve got all the windows wide open in case the smoke/smell worsens.

It has to be him. I’m going to kill him literally dead in the morning because I’m going to have a sleepless night.

Aside from the memorial of the birth of the baby Jesus, explain why I shouldn’t kill him in the morning.

Because you’d spend a long time in jail away from your child.

What’s the problem again?

I don't understand. Is he not allowed to burn wood fires?

Do you have working smoke alarms?

If he hasn’t lined his chimney, the smoke will leak into your house. There might be a carbon monoxide risk. I’d go round and ask him to put the bloody fire out. Then I’d open all the windows.

RJ, imagine you’ve left your windows open and your dear neighbour had a bonfire right outside and the smoke blew straight in. The smell is in everything. You could not sit in my sitting room last night. Of course we have working alarms (again see ref to fire fear) which isn’t really the point and of fucking course he can burn wood. But I think you’ll all agree, it’s a little over-shary when it’s to the extent it’s as though we too lit a bonfire indoors.

I think you should have a chat with your local fire station and ask for advice.
Pop down, tell them your concerns and they may come and check his chimney.
If it's an open fire the chimney may need repointing or lining.

We sometimes get that kind of smell if the extractor fans are on and all the windows are shut. It comes from air being drawn down the chimney bringing the smokey chimney smell with it.

If he hasn’t lined his chimney, the smoke will leak into your house.

If it’s an open fire then chimneys don’t necessarily need to be lined if they’re in good condition. But if smoke is coming into your home then it obviously isn’t and he needs to get it lined.

They are old houses. He is a newish resident. His house is in a state of some disrepair which he absolutely knows as he’s had to do a lot of very expensive work. It’s very typical that he’d not check that the chimneys were in good order before setting a fire. He knocked down a third of the house the summer before last without bothering with pesky inconvenience like planning permission. DH will go round again this morning and I will call a fire officer I know to ask advice too.

Meanwhile, every window in our home is open. My curtains absolutely reek as do all my soft furnishings in the sitting room.

Hopefully the silly man hasn’t carbon monoxided himself, which is a worry as he didn’t answer the door yesterday evening.

Ah I see

Yes I think I’d be asking the fire brigade for advice there. It doesn’t sound right at all.

Have you got working CO detectors? If not then buy some and speak to Environmental Heath when they’re open.

Wait, you want to kill your neighbour for using his own fire?

Would the chimney wall be hot to the touch on your side if it were on fire on his side? (Either upstairs or downstairs)

Scary.

Phone the local fire station for advice

Yes, the OP actually wants to kill her neighbour because of this and wasn't just expressing frustration

I'm sure he wasn't doing it intentionally but that doesn't make it OK. Make sure you corner him asap before he does it again. Leaving it a while before speaking to him might give the impression of not being that bad, which you don't want.

Is the smell bad enough to mean things need replacing? Has it left that blackish smoke residue on things? If it is it might be worth speaking to your home insurance (a long shot, but still) in case there is any system for this sort of thing.

My clever neighbour lit a garden fire this afternoon when we were out and now all my washing stinks of smoke and the upstairs windows were slightly open too :(

He is undoubtedly a penis.

No neighbours have been harmed thus far. BUT early indications suggest diplomatic overtures are likely to be unsuccessful. I cannot tell you how frustrated I am that my house smells like a bonfire and the response is that it can’t possibly.

There’s no smoke damage that’s visible, but all the curtains, cushions, bedding etc reek. It’s also extremely unpleasant to sleep in. You can taste it in your throat.

We’ll see how the next conversation goes. Then I’ll have a chat with the fire brigade; a friend that’s a fireman is getting me a number.

We will ask him not to persist until this can be properly checked. Those of you that have mentioned CO2 and monoxide are correct; that’s a bigger worry than just the smell.

He thinks we are making a fuss.

Do you live in Sydney?

No and I accept those poor souls have bigger concerns than whether their cushions smell.

He’s lit another one. Can’t sit in the dining room already.

Go round and tell him to come and have a look.

I would get the chimney checked if there is a shared flue. The odour coming into your home could show an issue.

As a Loss Adjuster I have been out to chimney fires which have caused smoke and smells in the neighbouring property.

Is this the first time that he has lit a fire since you moved in? If not, what has changed to make the place smell so much this time?

I was joking, I live in Sydney and it smells like this all the time now. Agree this is not good, and it is a health concern for you as well as annoying. I’ve been told by a fire fighter to always call the station if you smell burning, they’re very happy to pop around and check it out. Did you speak to your friend for advice?