No-Burn days return to the Valley

FRESNO, Calif. (KFSN) -- Some big money is on the line as we face the first of many No-Burn days this season. The number of No-Burn days now depends on what you have in your home.

The bright glow of a fire burning on a cold night usually means nothing but comfort. But how your fireplace or wood stove is burning could equate to money in the bank for many.

The Valley Air District's new program, Burn Cleaner, is offering between $1,500 and $2,500 in rebates on new equipment.

"An open fire place is around 50 grams per hour and a system like this is about 2.3, the larger sizes will go up to about 4.5 grams per hour," said Energy House employee Kevin O'Neal.

That's a huge difference in soot output as we heat our homes. O'Neal says the newer re-burn technology is gaining ground. "The air comes in, burns the fire, the smoke rises and gets re-burned in the secondary afterburners that re-burn the smoke," he said.

That smoke comes out drastically cleaner than what we see in older fireplaces. The new systems start around $3,000 but much of the cost could be covered with the Burn Cleaner rebates.

"If we can push people into those cleaner devices and gas devices we're going to be helping to avoid that prolonged build-up of pollution over a period of time," said Valley Air District Spokesperson Jamie Holt.

You'll need to install the EPA-approved devices, then register them online with Valley Air District in order to burn under the new restriction level called 'No Burn Unless Registered.'

The effort is to reduce harmful particulate matter from the air around us. "It's contributing, not only to respiratory illnesses like asthma and emphysema, but there's a lot of studies out there that show us it's having impacts on cardiovascular health," Holt said. "It's getting into your blood system. There's even some ties to dementia in older adults."

The size of your rebate depends on income eligibility. If you go out to buy the new re-burn systems, be sure to ask about the program so you can follow the proper steps for the rebate. Gas burning carries no restriction.

Register for Burn Cleaner program: www.valleyair.org/aqinfo/cbyb.htm