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Fire & Wood Smoke

Smoke may smell good, but it's not good for you. Whether from an indoor fireplace or woodstove, an outdoor chimenea or fire pit, seasonal open burning, or a wildfire, wood smoke can damage your lungs and threaten your health.

Microscopic particles from wood smoke can irritate your eyes, nose, and throat, and get into your respiratory system. When you breathe them deeply, these particles can worsen asthma and trigger heart attack, stroke, and other heart and lung problems - particularly if you are already at risk for these conditions. Find out what federal, state, and local agencies are doing and what you can do to protect yourself from the dangers of wood smoke.

Video: EPA Wood Smoke Video

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Learn About Burning Wood to Heat Your Home  Learn About Seasonal Open Burning  See the EPA Fire & Smoke Map 

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Learn About Air Sensors for Particle Pollution  Apply for a MassDEP Air Sensor Grant  Find a State-Certified Outdoor Hydronic Heater  Hydronic Heater Makers: Apply for Certification  Learn About Chimney & Woodstove Safety  Learn About Wildfires from EPA 

U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA): Wood Smoke & Your Health  Massachusetts Clean Energy Center: Woodstoves & Pellet Stoves  Northeast States for Coordinated Air Use Management: Outdoor Wood Boiler Fact Sheet 

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