| Re: HRM Council revisits rules for chimineas |
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Group: hfx.general · Group Profile
Author: JohnJohn Date: May 13, 2008 12:06
On May 13, 12:41 pm, harn...@hfx.eastlink.ca wrote:
> It sounds like a bit of overkill to me. HRM is legislating far too
> much these days (cats & chickens to name a few). So long as these
> things don't pose a fire hazard, they should leave people be to use
> these items as they please. The distance of 300 feets seems quite
> unreasonable. I wonder how it compares to legislation in other cities
> of similar size. It appears to reek of discrimination against city
> folk. How many people in what was considered Halifax City proper
> would have 300 feet between their house and their neighbour's house?
> I would bet not too many. While the chimneas are "recreational",
> heating by wood has been around for hundreds of years and trees are a
> renewable resource. If people don't like the smell of wood smoke,
> they need to move to homes on bigger lots in the suburbs or rural
> areas instead of in concentrated areas in city settings. BBQs put off
> smoke and have propane tanks attached to them as well yet they're not
> being included in this legislation. I would think 50-60 propane tanks
> on the decks of the average larger apartment building would pose more
> of a fire hazard than these chimneas in back yards.
Backyard fireplaces are actually regulated that they must be no less
than 15 feet from combustibles and 100 feet from the nearest
neighbour. The 300 foot limit is for those outdoor wood burning
furnaces.
The effect is pretty much the same as most city lots probably don't
have the depth for the 100 limit.
Barbecues generally produce smoke for a much shorter period than a
(poorly operated) backyard fireplace so the issue is different. A
fireplace burning wet or unseasoned wood can be a major nuisance with
a pretty disgusting disgusting smell and smoke that infiltrates homes
and clings to things.
On the other hand, plenty of people seem to do just fine, burning only
very dry fires with little smoke.
It's too bad the city didn't find a way to prevent the bad burners
while permitting the good burners.
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