Nuisance from wood burning, smoke

When a wood-burning stove, pellet stove, or open fireplace is lit indoors, smoke is produced. That smoke contains harmful substances, including fine particulate matter. These harmful substances cause air pollution and can harm your health and the health of others around you.
The municipality of Voorschoten occasionally receives inquiries about nuisances caused by smoke from stoves, open fireplaces, or fire pits at the “ neighbours.” 

How does it work?

Smart burning

Much nuisance can be prevented by burning smartly and using only dry, unpainted wood for combustion. The weather also plays a role. When there is no wind, the smoke lingers in the air with all the harmful health effects that entail. Therefore, it is preferable to burn when it is windy.

There are a number of websites with tips on how to approach this and how you can burn smartly.

A step-by-step guide on what to do in case of odor and smoke nuisance can be found on milieucentraal.

Tips on smart burning can also be found on Houtstook: de Stookwijzer en het stookalert | Informatiepunt Leefomgeving (iplo.nl). On this website, you can check whether burning wood at your location is responsible in relation to current air quality and wind force.

What to do?

Are you experiencing nuisance from wood smoke? Start a conversation with each other. Make use of the tips on this page! Not everyone is aware that a cozy fireplace or stove leads to the emission of harmful substances. And that these are bad for the health of both the surrounding area and the owner themselves. Therefore, always try to reach a mutual agreement.

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