What’s the point in bonfires?!

[PonkyPonky]

I’m interested to know your reasons if you’re a regular bonfire haver. I don’t mean if you live on a farm in the middle of nowhere and it affects no one. But if you live in a built up area with lots of surrounding houses, why do you think it’s a good idea to have bonfires in summer when everyone has their windows open and washing on the line? I’ve come home to a house that stinks of smoke and a whole load of washing that’s going to have to be re-washed. It’s a neighbour over the road and the smoke is still billowing out from their garden.
There are other options for garden waste, the tip or starting a compost heap or your green bin if you care to pay for it. I have never, in all my years of being an adult, felt the need for a bonfire. Why does anyone need to? It’s polluting. It’s selfish. People have breathing difficulties such as asthma, COPD etc etc.
AIBU to think they should just be banned?

Most of the stuff you would burn would take years and years to rot down in a domestic compost heap. Might rot down if shredded first, but then you'd have the noise of the shredder to live with.

Bonfires are for all the twigs, evergreens and invasive weeds like nettles. I'm always careful to check if neighbours have washing out first. Nettles would be better used to make liquid fertiliser wouldn't they? How do you stop them smoking?

Lots of talk about banning wood stoves. I'd be very annoyed if they did that without first banning BBQs

If they ban wood stoves I’d be surprised. There are lots of rural areas reliant on oil delivery where in winter your fire is your back up heat source. After Arwen thousands of homes round us had no electricity for weeks and so no boilers were working. The fires made life bearable.

I’m surprised at the talk of banning wood stoves to be honest. Lots of our neighbours have them and I’ve never once caught a single whiff of smoke. BBQ’s are definitely way more smokey but they only smoke for 15 minutes ish so don’t really bother me in the same way an all day bonfire does. Bonfires smoke out the whole flipping town! I have a huge garden and I have never once felt the need to light anything on fire in it. I am interested in the reasons why people have them but I have to say nothing so far has made me think it’s an acceptable thing to do in a densely populated area.

I think you’re right @PonkyPonky, I absolutely wouldn’t have a no fire if I weren’t so isolated. Is it not classed as anti social behaviour beyond a certain point?

Burning stuff is fun. There’s just something primevally satisfying about it. Human make fire!🔥

I take care of two hedgehogs so my neighbor, with a car, can do one.

Can you try to club with your neighbors on a pollution objection order? We can do it in Oxford I think.