Fire Pits. Horrible anti social stink.

[DarkLene]

Am I being unreasonable here? I live in a densely populated area with lots of people packed into a smallish space. Every fucking spring as soon as the weather gets warmer some selfish prick keeps one of these burning all night. The smell and fumes travel and every one else if they don’t want their house smelling like a bonfire has to shut every windows regardless of the heat. They should be banned. Plus pollution, etc.

YANBU. When I lived in the middle of nowhere I would have a fire outside but now I live surrounded by neighbours I wouldn't be so inconsiderate. Some of them would, though...

I agree with you OP. There's a selfish bastard who has bonfires on our street. Guaranteed, the first sunny weekend of the year and he sets fire to all the crap from his garden over the winter. We have a green bin collection service!!

YANBU. They stink. They're not really meant for tiny suburban gardens are they, more of a camping thing I thought.
I used to have a neighbour who was fond of them. I was running around my house trying to find a fire because it literally smelt like my house was on fire every time they used it, even with windows closed. Who even wants a fire on in this heat, madness.

YANBU. It’s extra annoying when people light them at 10pm during a heatwave when you finally think you can open your windows, only for the house to be filled with smoke from next door’s fire pit 🙄.

I like an open fire and would absolutely get one if I was living rurally with no close neighbours. They’re not for tiny gardens on housing estates.

I do. But not in summer, not if my windows are open and not if I have washing out. Certainly wouldn’t want it all night long! Christ the environment, my lungs, the black soot along my window sill, the smoke always blows one way or the other.

If you live in a city, unfortunately it comes with living in close surroundings to neighbours. So everyone should be cooped up indoors just because you don't like how they chose to enjoy being outdoors.

Equally, if you want to enjoy open fires in the garden, maybe don’t live in a city in close surroundings to neighbours. Or go camping?

What if everyone started living their country life fantasy in suburbia? Would you be happy if your neighbours kept chickens or were shooting vermin in their gardens?

Because it is cooler at night, so you can shut your windows and doors without overheating, and people aren't generally out gardening or doing other outside jobs after dark.

There are no restrictions on bonfires around my way, not even in the nearby city with a population of over 250k. My council are shit hot at dealing with bonfire complaints though. When my mate complained about her neighbour repeatedly having large, smelly bonfires during the day, they were very quick to tell him to stop and threaten him with prosecution under the Control of Pollution Act.

He was also my boss, and he didn't half moan about it. I had trouble maintaining my poker face...

All my neighbours are inconsiderate in some way. There's the family with the teen son with his big unfriendly dog and scummy mates, the neighbor who used a sander on her kitchen cupboard doors outside for an entire bank holiday weekend, who also sings very, very badly with the windows open. Then there's the neighbour who has radio 2 on at high volume, and next door to her there's the people with the naughty yappy dogs. Then there's the couple who have blazing rows in the garden regularly. And there's the family where the teens play bass and drums. And the guy who barbecues from about 10 in the morning on a weekday so you can't put your washing out. Our contribution is we occasionally sit outside with a glass of wine and burn stuff. In fact, we are planning on doing just that tonight if the weather holds. I figure none of them gets to complain.

When people have gardens the size of a handkerchief it's very unfair on their neighbours (along with trampolines/hot tubs/ BBQs etc etc).

If people were considerate enough to keep the noise down/limit the smell etc it would help. Given some of the posts on here pigs are more likely to fly.

I honestly find it incredible that anyone can defend them! What are they actually for in gardens? It makes you feel like you're camping, or what?

The population is finally beginning to wake up to the danger of woodburning stoves - why are so many on this thread fingers in ears and la la la about this?

Hate them with a passion too, OP. We live next door (detached houses) to someone who burns their fire pit and bbqs all day long, every single sodding nice day. I'm sensitive to the smell, it brings on migraines. But we also can't open windows, hang washing etc. They basically drive us out of our home in the summer.

Awful things in built up areas. I know someone who installed aircon as some of their neighbours got them and they couldn’t open their windows.
So now we have the double whammy of burning wood and extra electricity for aircon units. Hardly ideal.

My neighbour has a coal fire. I think it heats his hot water too. I hate it. It reminds me of being a kid, when loads of people still had them. I thought it'd stop in summer, but no.

They deny the problems - the stench and pollution- because they want one

Normal human behaviour it seems

You can add OTT garden lights to that. I've had terrible trouble sleeping lately. neighbours.on both sides go to bed very late and let their dogs out and potter around in the garden when it's warm until at least midnight. The lights flickering on and off from their security lights are horrendous and disturb me

Then there's the decorative bright LED lights from another neighbour which are just pointless but it's all I see if I look into my garden at night and they have them on. They also like burning stuff and shouting at their kids..

People seem so thoughtless these days.

They're so bad for people with asthma. YANBU. Note down when the fires happen, complain to your council, they'll get fined. That should nip it in the bud.

Get a solo stove. Game changer. Completely smokeless and has a great heat.
Spread the word!

I like the smell of woodsmoke.

Vile things. Same goes for barbeques.

YANBU.

Mary and Waiting, that looks great - but why is it smokeless? I had a look at the website, but it doesn’t say. Is it just because you use dry wood (which all fire pits could use) or is there some clever airflow design?

Solo stoves always look like someone's lit a fire in a washing machine drum to me..

I don't have a fire pit, but I do have a couple of fireplaces I use 2/3rd of the year, and heat my house on oil (as does pretty much everyone else around me - albeit rural, so not very many). I'm astonished someone's managing to keep a firepit going all night - they're up around it chatting and feeding it I presume? By the end of the evening it's just glowing coals, pretty much no smoke surely (like a BBQ with no food on it)

I don't mind the smell. Beats muckspreading.

And as to particulates, these people aren't heating their houses with them, they're doing it occasionally in the open air. We all pick and choose which polluting activities we do, they clearly feel that a firepit is worth it.

But I'll add it to the list of things Mumsnet says are terrible (along with trampolines, hot-tubs, balloons, large TVs)

This thread makes me very happy I left a city and moved to the middle of nowhere where people are further away from it and less bothered!

I think it’s unhelpful to ban something that gets people outside and socialising. Obviously there are limits, if someone burns plastic, it’s a no (yes, I’ve seen this done), but in general a fire with friends, teaching children how to build it, cooking over it, watching the flames late into the evening - it’s a lovely experience!

I like to light one next to my hot tub.

All burning should be banned in urban/residential areas, include bonfires and indoor fires. So awful for air quality.