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?

Check local by laws. There is usually a ban on bonfires in gardens.

Makes a massive difference, people are less likely to have windows open after dark or be using their garden.

Agreed. Daytime bonfires are just plain bad etiquette regardless of where you live.

@Summersun77 but the poorly people that can't breathe will still be poorly at night

They’ll have the windows closed.

Asthmatic people are asthmatic all year round you can’t expect people never to have a bbq.

Yes, but surely we can expect people to apply common sense and not have a barbecue/burn some rubbish because they’ve had a clear out or the recycling service has been suspended/light a fire pit because “it’s romantic”... AT THE MOMENT.

We aren’t living in a normal situation. Bonfires are not necessary now for any reason or at any time of day or night. We are living in confined situations and if you light one you could be seriously affecting someone’s breathing.

Could go on for a year this situation people need some normality. Nothing wrong with a small bbq or chimnea at night time. Not talking about a bonfire because I don’t know anyone who would have an actual bonfire in their garden and think people here are being dramatic calling it a bonfire.

With the green bin collections being suspended and nothing else to do but tidy the garden we ll be having a bonfire. We checked and there are no rules against it - other than let neighbours know. Their garden is a disgusting shit hole of epic proportions and i highly expect them and their 5 kids to spend the lockdown indoors rather than actually getting fresh air and tidying it so don't really care if they don't like us having a bonfire.

@Summersun77 asthma is worse summer months usually. Add in bonfires and bbqs and yes I can expect people never to light one. Or smoke. My daughter has a shit life made worse by morons thinking they need to incinerate meat outside every evening.

I suppose it comes down to the basic level of does what you are planning to do affect other people. If not, do whatever you like.

If people are telling you that it does - stopping them opening their windows, ruining their washing that they’ve just spent time washing and hanging out and, most seriously, affecting their breathing (ESPECIALLY NOW), then if you choose to go ahead you are saying your need to clear up or sit by a fire trumps their need ( to breath).

@Sooverthemill YABVVVVU to suggest nobody should ever have a bbq.

I have hay fever therefore nobody should ever mow their lawn as it exacerbates it grow up won’t you.

Unfortunately there will always be morons. MY neighbours have a garden piled with old furniture, toys and fridge freezers etc, last year they lit a fire in their neighbours garden, literally less than 2m from the flats they live in, no idea what they were burning but there were several loud bang explosions...the air was so toxic, have no breathing probs but could not stand outside as it choked in your throat.

I do not put it past them to set fire to this years massive pile of crap in their garden, it’s 6ft high pile...I very much doubt they will move it from where it is before they set it on fire and where it currently is, is less than 1m from the gas box and supply. The moment I smell the fact they’ve been lit it I’ll be calling 999, dangerous fuckers could blow up half the street.

I do think fires should be banned atm, not fair on anyone given that it’s a respiratory disease and most people are in isolation.

@summeri know I can't seriously prevent people having barbecues or bonfires (sadly) but I wish we could have a designated day for them so that in the summer we DJ t have to have our doors and windows closed every evening and night. The smoke causes life threatening asthma attacks. I also ban DH grass cutting more than once a fortnight and would happily remove the grass so we didn't have that issue. And I am quite grown up at 62, thank you

I agree. Fires ( and barbecues) should be banned at the moment, until we are out of lockdown.

Yes, we need normality and we all need projects/things to do. But lighting fires right now is irresponsible and anti-social and it really isn’t necessary for anyone to insist on doing it.

@Troels yeah and the only thing that kind of behaviour would elicit from me would be me being a screaming nutcase in return, possibly followed by a smack in the mouth! Why not just politely have a word, then if he doesn't pay attention or is a complete arse about it, then is the time to pull out the big guns. But give him a chance frist lol.

SummerBreeze:

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.

This.

@Sooverthemill your post I responded to was very different in tone to your last- calling people morons for having a bbq in summer? You sound like a rude entitled person.

We’ve got a neighbour who’s had a bonfire going most afternoons this week.

They seem to be spending their lockdown by clearing bits of garden in the morning, and burning the garden waste in the afternoon.
It’s annoying because the smoke means I can’t really have the DC out in the garden when the bonfire’s going.
They also have regular BBQs, but that’s less of an issue, partly because the BBQ is less smoky, partly because we’re usually inside having our own dinner when the BBQ goes on.

The garden waste bonfires aren’t normal behaviour for these neighbours, I think they’re doing it because the start of the garden waste collections have been pushed back to end of April, and the household recycling centres (which take garden waste) are closed for the foreseeable future. I’m hoping they finish all this intensive garden clearing soon.

@minorarcana obviously your neighbours are unreasonable. It’s not fair to burn waste all day every day, means you can never enjoy your garden. There’s two extremes; people like your neighbour, and people like PPs saying you should never have a bbq or light any sort of fire in your garden, ever. Ridiculous on both ends, there’s a balance.

Hope your neighbours knock it off soon so you can enjoy your garden.

What are they burning?? Burning waste is a prosecutable offence.

Oh ffs people on here are just being completely dramatic right now..

I have a chimnea.. And when i am completely fed up or stressed I find a fire therapeutic

I am not irresponsible or causing anyone to have breathing issues

Get a grip.

@frasersmummy 👏
Also prosecutable offence... fgs don’t you think the police have got enough on their hands at the minute

@summersun since when was lighting a chimnea an offence???

We have tiny London gardens backing onto one another, a very good tip and a kerbside garden waste and recycling service. There is no need to have bonfires and people don’t. Except for one idiot who used to burn god knows what at least twice a week, often with black and noxious smoke, despite everyone pleading with him not to and the council getting involved.

During one particularly spectacular effort, he managed to burn down his shed, his fence and that of his back neighbour and set fire to a tree three houses over.

The loud and firm dressing down he received from the fire brigade was met with a round of applause from everyone around. Is it too cruel to say that when he died within the year of a lung disease he wasn’t exactly mourned ? :/