Learn when to burn

MONTROSE — Wood stoves and fireplaces help beat the cold and costly heating bills. But they can also contribute to air pollution and the health concerns that go with it.

The Western Slope Air Watch advisory program hopes to cut down on that, by getting residents to forego the use of wood-burning stoves and fireplaces on days when there is a temperature inversion.

Its wintertime air-quality advisory program kicks off today and continues through Feb. 28, 2009.

Richard Thompson, environmental health manager for the Montrose County Health Department, said the state has made significant investment in the air-quality monitoring program based in Grand Junction.

"Our weather is essentially similar to theirs," he said. "Using a weather forecast and Grand Junction monitoring, we can pretty well predict the potential for air-quality denigration during inversions in the valley here."

Inversion occurs when air on the ground is colder than the air above it, which basically "seals" the air at ground level and inhibits it from rising.

"The net result is any air contaminants that are released into the air just collect there," Thompson said. "It can be for a few hours or a few days. It's not good."

The contaminants — including a tar-like compound, PM-10, found in wood smoke — can reduce visibility and also pose health risks, ranging from allergies to asthma and even cancer.

"Most of the time it's something carried in the air," Thompson said of allergies. Pollution can also worsen asthma and bring on respiratory illnesses, he said.

"There are things in the air that cause cancer. Some are natural; most are manmade."

Some wood-burning devices are designed to destroy PM-10 particles before emission. Thompson said that failure to burn wood in an approved device in Grand Junction can net the user fines. Here, not burning because of the air quality is voluntary. Other no-burn designations imposed by the sheriff or other officials are not voluntary.

"We have multiple reasons why we would have a no-burn, but the air-quality one is voluntary in Montrose County," Thompson said.

Western Slope Air Watch plans to use local newspaper, radio and television stations to issue advisories. "Blue Flame" days mean it is OK to burn. "Red Flame" days mean no-burn.

Advisory forecasts will be issued at least once a week, or more as necessitated by weather conditions in Mesa, Delta and Montrose counties. Weekend advisories will be issued on Fridays. A 24-hour pre-recorded information line is available at 248-6990.

Thompson said it should be OK to burn this weekend.