Wood Burning Advisories

In the fall of 1992, a Wood and Coal Burning Control Program was instituted by the Department of Environmental Quality for the State of Utah, in cooperation with the public, to control woodsmoke emissions and carbon monoxide along the Wasatch Front. The woodburning program was started because chemical analysis of particulate filters showed that 16% of the particulate on the filters came from woodsmoke. The idea is to prevent an exceedance of the particulate, or PM10 (National Standard of 150 micrograms/cubic meter), and the carbon monoxide standard (9 parts per million) during winter inversions. The program starts on November 1 and ends on March 1.

The Wood and Coal Burning Control Program uses three colors (green, yellow and red) to let the public know when they can or cannot burn wood or coal in stoves or fireplaces. Green means wood/coal burning is allowed. Yellow means a voluntarily reduction of all wood/coal burning. Red means to stop all residential burning--unless the wood/coal stove or fireplace is the only source of heat for the home. Warnings and fines may be levied against anyone ignoring a no-burn period.

Click here for more information on Utah's Wood and Coal Burning Control Program.

Much of the information for this section originally appeared in the copyrighted book Utah's Weather and Climate, edited by Dan Pope and Clayton Brough, in 1996. UCCW Directors have received permission from the copyright owners of this book to reproduce such information on its website and to revise and updated it where appropriate.