To think setting a fire in your backyard on a summer day is really antisocial?

[CailinDana]

The neighbours whose garden backs onto ours have just started a bonfire. As a result my house stinks of smoke and I can't hang out my washing. I'm pretty pissed off.

Is this an unusual thing or something to be expected with neighbours? I've never had it happen before.

I wouldn't be pissed off with one bonfire.

I'd be pissed off it happened regularly.

Like noisy parties.

If it's just occasional and the odd bit of garden cuttings etc, I'd say that's ok. If they start burning plastics, tyres etc (which we've had next door) that's not really on.

I think it's normal to burn garden cuttings now and again. I always wait until the evening, though, so most of my neighbours have brought their washing in.

You can't have a fire in the rain so a sunny day seems sensible. I agree that most people would wait until evening, but then people may moan because they want to sit out after work or have a bbq.

bbqs are pretty stinky too

I love the smell of a bonfire....although admittedly not on my clean washing

YABU. Could you confirm when are they "allowed" to light a bonfire in their own garden?

We don't have bonfires, the garden isn't big enough, but I prefer the smell of a bonfire over the stench of a barbecue anyday.

If it's occasional I would be fine about it.

I'd be pissed off, but then again I'm asthmatic, and bonfire smoke always brings on an asthma attack for me.

I thought bonfires were only allowed after dusk...

Fine to have a bonfire (or barbecue - even more smelly!) now and again. Good manners to mention it to the neighbours first though, just in case they have particular plans for a party outside, mountain of washing they must dry that day etc.

We burn garden stuff and cardboard once a week on a Sunday evening, and late so people have no washing out.

Parched -no, there arent any laws about bonfires, well I dont think there are anyway.

There aren't.

There are some legal rules relating to bonfire. For example, you can't burn domestic rubbish because of the noxious fumes.

Additionally, regular bonfires that cause problems for your neighbours or someone who kept a bonfire smoldering away for a couple of days can be classed as a statutory nuisance . A council can then serve an abatement notice.

An occasional bonfire shouldn't be an issue but if it becomes a regular occurance then you could report it to the council.

there are laws regarding what can be burned i.e anything that creats toxic smoke like tyres plastics ect, or refuse disposed of in a way that creats an issue - this includes burning.

but for a bonfire to be considered to be a nusance it would have to happen regularly and cause a serious issue for your wellbeing, basicly if it happens once every few months or for several days but only say every 4 months it would be ok.

with regular bonfires or nusance bonfires the LA can issue an abatement notice its a 5k fine plus £500 for each day they continue to ignore it.

i think the thing mainly is if they have let you know they are doing it,if others are also having fires at the same time, if they dont like just wait till you have washing on the line then light it and happens less than once every few weeks you should be able to tollerate it.

i have bonfires i always tell neighbours i dont light one if other people have washing out i never do it during the day and i try to be compleatly decent about it and i have never had any problems with neighbours ect however a bloke in the next street had one every week without fail at a different time each week never warned anybody even if they were hanging out washing all in all was very offish if anybody asked him not to or to wait, just got fined ended up doing a bonfire every day for 2 weeks in protest so got fined another few grand for ignoring the order

Well the fire is still going and my DS can't go out in the garden as it's filled with smoke. Also my washing has to go in the drier which is annoying.

If I were setting a bonfire I would wait till late so as to cause as little disturbance as possible.

Cailin - I would start keeping a diary (e.g. time you notice the fire, how long does it last & what problems it causes you) and if the smoke is visable take a couple of photos. If the problem carries on over the next few weeks you have something concrete to show to the council.

we are not allowed to make bonfires in our gardens as we live in a smokeless zone - same with fires indoors - they have to be smokeless fuel.

Well this was what I was told by council

Why don't you just pop round and ask them to pre warn you next time they are having a bonfire so you can get the washing in?

smokecontrol.defra.gov.uk/guidance.php This covers bonfires and chimney smoke

Thanks for that Ivy. Valium I don't know them well, I've only spoken to them once so I wouldn't feel comfortable going and talking to them. I will say something to them if it happens again any time soon though.

Yanbu.

Where i am we had a spate of a days long burning from diff people all in two weeks that meant for half term we couldnt go outside in our garde, house stank of smoke. I have loads and laods of stuff i could burn but i wouldnt put anyone through it.

A few leaves for a an hour is not a problem for me, i mean all day burning.

persoanlly i thikn its selfish and lazy.

make a note of the date, and time it lasted in case they do it again.

yanbu to be annoyed, but to be fair with the weather we've been having lately it's a case of seizing the opportunity