Should Residential Bonfires Be Banned? They’re Driving Us Crazy!
I may have to kill my horrible neighbour (joking…. maybe)
I went out for a walk yesterday, partly because the bonfire in the next garden was annoying me. I hoped it would burnt out by the time I got back.
When I returned, the whole road was enveloped in a thick cloud of toxic smoke, not unlike the picture above. Just imagine a housing estate in the middle of it, with our house at the centre!
This woman’s bonfires have been a bone of contention for years. When we first moved into the house, we tried to take it up with her, but she wouldn’t listen. She said the nursing home next door complained about the smoke, because it set off their fire alarms. The man who lived on the other side threatened to kill her.
Therefore, she explained, she had no choice, but to send her toxic smoke in our direction — making sure she only lit her massive bonfires, when the breeze was blowing our way. Charming.
And no, she can’t take it to the tip.
She always burns freshly cut garden waste, so we get maximum smoke. I asked her to let it dry out first, but no.
My husband has asthma, I hate breathing in smoke, and air pollution is really bad for health, so we’re fed up with it.
I tried to get the council involved at one stage, but they weren’t interested.
We’ve learnt to live with it. We keep windows closed when she starts a bonfire and wait it out. If we can, we’ll go out when she lights a big bonfire, but sometimes we’re working, and these things can last for hours!
The toxic effects of smoke inhalation include:
- increased risk of cardiovascular disease;
- lung disease and respiratory complications;
- increased risk of cancers and other diseases;
- And premature death, says the EPA.
Isn’t it about time these awful things were banned in residential areas?
She’s a very old woman now. We’re hoping when she passes, they develop the plot and the bonfires cease for good!
More from me…