Fire pit beneath baby's bedroom window

[ArtichokeAardvark]

I live in a split level house - my flat encompasses the top two floors, downstairs neighbours has ground floor and the garden. Full disclosure - she and I don't especially get on, so I'm prepared to be told I'm overreacting.

It's a hot night and she has friends round in the garden. No problem. However, she's bought a fire pit and is using it for the first time tonight. She has placed it on her patio which is directly beneath my one year old's bedroom window. My whole flat smells like a bonfire. Smoke is rising straight up and coming through my son's window and the window on the top floor (my bedroom). Luckily my son is staying with MIL tonight or I'd be freaking out about toddler smoke inhalation, but she doesn't know he's not here. It's too hot to close the windows and we don't have A/C.

AIBU to be fuming about this? Can I do anything about it? I've checked my local council website which doesn't have any rules regarding fire pits... Closest I can find are bonfires, which are discouraged but not banned and that neighbours can complain under the Environment Protection Act if the bonfire is a nuisance.

We live in centralish London - her garden is surrounded by houses. How does she think it's remotely ok to burn a firepit right under others' bedroom windows?!?

Or am I overreacting?

Can you knock on her door and explain that the smoke is going straight into your bedrooms - please can she move the fire pit away from the house? Seems reasonable to me.

Try and stay calm, and have a list of just 2 or 3 reasons why you'd like her to place it somewhere else.

she is inconsiderate.

She is inconsiderate but yababu (you are being a bit unreasonable)

She has a right to use her garden. I’m in a flat now the downstairs neighbour smokes so I shut the balcony door 🤷‍♀️

Yep, I did be round there asking her to move it. If she refused, I'd be tipping a bucket of water over it from the bedroom window 🤣🤷🏼‍♀️🔥🔥🔥

Yanbu

good idea Soontobe60.

Sounds like an inconsiderate arsehole to me. I can’t imagine doing something like that living anywhere other than detached and/or with a massive long garden and right down the end. I remember tiny flats we used to live in and the bottom ones had gardens, they’d put movies on a projector with surround sound and watch outdoors with friends. Lovely idea if your film isn’t ruining about 10 other people’s sleep! People are dicks.

People often just don't think with fires for some reason. Ask her nicely to move it away from window explaining why (but try not to seek argumentative). My neighbours have regukar dires and irs super annoyong but technically they arent doing anything wrong and we have a hot house and no ac and just have to either boil or be smoked out (I choose boil over smoke, we do have fans).

I bet she doesn’t realise how much smoke is getting into your flat. Just ask her to move it.

I'd let it go tonight as she's enjoying her party, probably hasn't thought about the impact & your ds isn't there.

Then tomorrow I'd drop a note through the door (or contact her however you normally do) & say 'hey neighbour, can you please move the fire pit further down the garden in future - it's smoking out dc's room & mine'

If she's a reasonable person she will re-site it. If not, you take it from there?

Ask her and if she refuses I think the advice you’ve been given about a bucket of water is decent.

I’d keep pouring that fucker over it until it was ruined

YANBU - I think that’s incredibly inconsiderate. Tbh fire pits are for people who live in detached houses with large gardens.

I agree ask her to move then throw water.

Why would you want a fire pit? It’s really hot!