fireplaces news stories on Newser

Your Fireplace Could Give You Cancer

Evann Gastaldo — Mon, 07 Feb 2011 13:14:05 CST

Ahh, fireplaces: cozy, romantic, and … as bad for you as car exhaust fumes? Apparently so: New research reveals that breathing in the smoke from open fires or wood-burning stoves can lead to cancer, and heart and lung disease. The airborne particles in the smoke are particularly harmful because they’re...

SoCal Bans Wood Burning on Bad Air Days

Katherine Thompson — Sat, 08 Mar 2008 08:08:13 CST

Officials in charge of air quality in Los Angeles and surrounding counties have banned the use of wood-burning fireplaces during certain high-pollution days. The fines would only be levied on about two dozen winter days, and wouldn't affect gas fireplaces, wood-burning ovens in restaurants, or homes above 3,000 feet,...

So Cal May Ban Wood-Burning Fireplaces

Dustin Lushing — Fri, 01 Jun 2007 17:25:34 CDT

Southern Californians will be roasting their chestnuts in the oven if an air pollution plan is passed that would ban fireplaces in all new homes and prohibit wood-fueled blazes for as many as 20 days every winter. The regulations, proposed by South Coast Air Quality Management, seeks to clean up...

Fireplaces Heat Up Backyards

Heather McPherson — Wed, 21 Mar 2007 14:54:54 CDT

The outdoor fireplace is the latest must-have for obsessive upgraders—at least those with backyards. With built-in stereo systems, refrigerators, and price tags that run to $80,000, these oversized hearths often come with a just-for-show wood pile, though they run on gas.