As we approach the tail end of December, Clark County’s Department of Environment & Sustainability (DES) has a holiday wish that’s less about jingle bells and more about clean air bells. Specifically, they are calling on residents of the Vegas Valley to cool it with the yuletide logs. With a history of air quality concerns during the celebratory season, DES is pressing for a fire-free holiday through its "Put Out the Fire" campaign.
Records indicate that Clark County has battled with breaches of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s standards for particulate matter, known as PM2.5, during the holiday season in four out of the past eight years. Ted Lendis, the planning manager for the Division of Air Quality within DES, highlighted how wood-burning has been a major culprit behind these exceedances. "Reducing air pollution regardless of the source is essential to helping our community avoid unhealthy air," Lendis said in a statement obtained by Clark County.
Last year, Las Vegas residents managed to keep their chimneys clear and the skies cleaner by heeding the county’s call. The Division of Air Quality hasn't recorded a PM2.5 exceedance since January 1, a spike that was attributed to New Year's fireworks. Lendis expressed optimism about making this year's Christmas air quality better as well, with cooperation from the community. "We can thank people who helped us last year by taking the pledge to not burn wood," Lendis stated, according to Clark County. "Their efforts helped us break the streak. Now, let’s start a new streak of clean-air Christmas Days."
Wooing the public away from their traditional hearths, the Division of Air Quality is drawing people into the clean air camp by offering up an electric fireplace as a prize in a draw. All those who sign up for the "Put Out the Fire Pledge" are automatically in with a chance of winning, a partnership move with the American Lung Association of Nevada. And for those wondering, particulate matter, or PM, is a mixture of solids and droplets in the air, ranging from dust to smoke and soot. PM2.5 is tiny enough to be inhaled deeply into the lungs, potentially causing health issues, hence the county’s focus on keeping levels in check.
Residents who may still opt to light a fire are advised to follow "Burn Wise" habits. These include using dry, seasoned wood only and avoiding the burning of wet, coated, painted, and pressure-treated wood, as well as avoiding the use of gasoline, kerosene, or lighter fluid for starting fires. Additionally, the DAQ recommends not burning garbage like cardboard, plastics, wrapping paper, magazines, or foam, and to always keep a fire extinguisher handy. For a full roundup of tips and information, people can visit the DAQ’s Burn Wise page. Deborah Thompson, director of the American Lung Association in Nevada, reminded us that "We all breathe the same air. If we all work together this holiday season, clean air is the gift we give to each other!"
