Sitting on the couch with a crackling fire, who makes you what? But not everyone is happy with that, because asthmatics, among others, can suffer a lot from the smoke. Jeanne Heessels from Vught has recently closed the ventilation grilles of her house, because she suffers so much from smoke from wood stoves.
Using a wood-burning stove in the right way turns out to be a profession in its own right. Firing with wet or dirty wood (with paint residue, for example) causes a lot of stench and soot from the chimney.
“Once in Vught it was really terrible, I have never experienced it that bad.”
Jeanne Heessels from Vught also notices this. During a car journey from Teteringen to Vught, she closed the ventilation grilles of the car. “When we got into the car, we already smelled a bad smell. Near Tilburg it smelled so bad that we pressed the button so that no fresh air could enter the car. Once in Vught it was really terrible, I’ve never experienced it that bad. It smells so bad.”
It’s not just the outdoors where she feels limited. The ventilation grilles in the house will also be closed from now on. “You flee inside because of the stench, but you are also hindered inside. In the house I close all grilles and shutters because otherwise you get that air into the house. You can’t go outside anymore. It’s even worse for the environment than cars.”
“So now others are going to decide what someone does in their own house?”
There is a lot of discussion on Facebook about the nuisance caused by burning wood. “So now others are also going to decide what someone does in their own house? If you know that this is bothering you, then you keep your windows closed, don’t you?” a man found on Facebook in one of the discussions about burning wood in Vught. One thinks it is complaining of people who ‘have enough money to burn gas’, the other thinks that we should be more considerate of each other.
The solution can be found in the correct heating recommendations and guidelines. For example, the National Institute for Public Health and the Environment (RIVM) has had a heating alert, which shows when it is better not to burn. People who are inconvenienced by wood smoke from the area can file a complaint with the municipality.
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