My neighbour has lit yet another bonfire in his back garden tonight...

[BluSky5]

Would it be unreasonable to think that bonfires shouldn’t be allowed at the moment? I work in healthcare and would like to keep the house well ventilated but my neighbours bonfires keep filling my house up with smoke. I can’t seem to smell it but it’s only when it’s started to irritate my lungs that I realise he’s got another fire lit.

Would it be unreasonable to think that garden fires shouldn’t be allowed at the moment?

can you close your windows?

I dont know if its all areas, but weve just had announced that recycling centres are closed for the foreseeable, so i have been considering burning my cardboard and paper stack

The thing is, I’d like to be able to enjoy some fresh air after being cooped up on a Hospital ward all day. None of us know if we’re positive to corona virus so I feel it’s safer to keep the house well ventilated. Recycling waste is still being collected, just not so often.

I think lung health is more important right now.

We've got neighbours building a house over the road and they've spent the last 6 months with a permanent bonfire from slowly clearing an orchard. All weekend, our house was covered in clouds of white smoke. I've reported it at least half a dozen times but it doesn't stop them.

It really winds me up - first week all year we've been able to hang washing outside, we're trying to use the garden for outside space as we've got 5 of us quarantined in the house and we can't even have a window open. It's such an anti social thing to do

Could you have an accident with a hose while watering your garden

I think we`ll see more garden bonfires. The town dumps are all shut and some councils are also not taking brown bins.

Is it acceptable to have a bbq?

FFS some people have zero consideration for others!! People are struggling to BREATHE at the moment and dickheads think bonfires are ok!! It's ridiculous

My local area is encouraging bonfires as all recycling centres / tips are closed.

Not unreasonable. Guildford council have been posting on social media that people shouldn't be having bonfires. No idea how enforceable it is, if even a law, but worth checking with your local authority.

FFS some people have zero consideration for others!! People are struggling to BREATHE at the moment and dickheads think bonfires are ok!! It's ridiculous

Agree
Not to mention - first warm, dry, sunny days in months and people need to be able to enjoy their outside spaces without choking with smoke.

SurreyMum,
Thanks, I will check with the council. Health Care workers have tough times ahead and I’d like to be able to sit in the garden at night with a cuppa and look at the night sky to de stress a bit.

If bonfires are to be allowed then maybe there could be a designated day for it so that the rest of us can close our windows.

Speak to him about it?

A designated day is a good solution. I have been thinking of buying a small incinerator to burn garden rubbish but haven’t wanted to upset my neighbours. But lots of councils have stopped collecting garden rubbish so I can see lots of us having no choice but to burn it.

I feel for you op, I can totally understand why you would want fresh air.

Local council here have said no bonfires for the foreseeable future

@Branleuse I hope you're joking.

Can't you people that want to burn everything start compost bins instead?

I hate bonfires, people always seem to have them on lovely sunny good washing drying days. We have lovely neighbours but I think they use a wood burner for their heating so everyday during this lovely weather the garden has smelt of smoke - I put washing out and have had to rewash it. I'm just hoping that they stop using it as the weather warms up.

www.gov.uk/garden-bonfires-rules

Well this is interesting.

Our local council have asked people not to have bonfires. Not everyone is listening to them though.

My inconsiderate arsehole of a neighbour lit one at 2pm this afternoon. Everyone had to go indoors and close windows etc as it was thick smoke with ash and embers flying everywhere. I was most unimpressed...

My neighbour had one all afternoon last weekend - everyone had washing on the line.
I’m self isolating and have had a tight chest for a week or so so it really didn’t help it. Then, they lit up again in the evening the other evening - it’s the teenage son. He’s got a garden full of mates smoking weed and sitting round a bonfire.

If bonfires are going to become a thing in built up areas when many people and their poor kids have respiratory infections, it will be unbearable. For public health this has huge ramifications.

iMatter
I hope all do the same thing.

I expect a rise in fire service call outs

Well let’s hope the ambulance service won’t need to be called out. I’m sure they’ll be too busy to help.

My neighbour used to have a wood burner Chimenea thing out the back and would light it very occasionally. Even with my windows and window vents closed my kitchen and bathroom would stink of smoke because I had extractor fans in both. I'd go for a bath and discover when drying myself that my towels reeked of it too. In the end we sellotaped clingfilm over the fans for the night. It was annoying but we could manage. Then he started lighting it most nights. We ended up having a word and he did stop but I think it was more to do with the fact he ran out of wood and extra cash to buy wood.

Just speak to the neighbour. Agree a certain day perhaps?