Don't Light That Christmas Eve Fire, Air Quality District Says

Chris J Kapsalis December 24, 2012 at 02:05 pm

So much for chestnuts roasting on an open fire. Geeze. I think I heard this the last few Christmas eves as well. What is the Bay Area Air Quality Management District ran by a bunch of Scrooges? It's not even a spare the air day and still they want us to not have a fire in the fire place. Something is just so wrong about this. We have had similar days recently and will have similar days to come in the winter, non spare the air days, did you have to pick Christmas eve?

Captain Bebops December 24, 2012 at 02:47 pm

Rain is forecast for tomorrow. Not sure if it rains how you can have a "spare the air day".

El Cucuy December 24, 2012 at 04:31 pm

I feel safer already!

Chris Nicholson December 24, 2012 at 05:52 pm

It angers me that my taxes pay for this BS propaganda. If you are lucky enough to have a real wood fireplace, for God's sake use it today (Xmas Eve) and tomorrow (Xmas).
Every time I read one of these insane "Spare the Air" references I visualize Mr. Van Driessen (from Beavis & Butthead) reading the press release.

Chris J Kapsalis December 24, 2012 at 07:42 pm

They did the same thing last Christmas Eve??? This is just plain bizarre imo. This is from 2011> "Today (Dec. 24) Is Another Spare The Air Day - No Wood Burning ....... What are the odds, and I agree Chris Nicholson, BS Propaganda and I have no clue what they are trying to prove. Get a life. Check Martinez Patch from one year ago today. Same thing, they wont lewt me post the link.

Gary Ridenour December 24, 2012 at 07:58 pm

Merry Christmas everyone,and while your resting throw another log on the fire!

JP December 24, 2012 at 08:09 pm

Wonder how much these bureaurcrats pay themselves to drive around looking for smoke on Christmas?

MIKE ALFORD December 24, 2012 at 11:53 pm

How Dare You even think about about starting a fire in your own fire place ! Why If you burned a log every night for a week in your fire place you could be producing around 2 Metric pounds of C.O 2 Why do you know how bad on the enviroment that would be ? And think of all the trouble you could get into with the air quialty controll board ! Wait a minute --- Just a minute now ----- The Shell Oil Company In Martinez Put Out 4.6 Million metric TONS of C,O.2 Last Year Why thats Only around 13 Metric TONS A Day (365 DAYS A YEAR) And Nobody Says A WORD ? ---- Never Mind Im Going To Go And Start My Fire Place !!!!!

MIKE ALFORD December 24, 2012 at 11:58 pm

Im Sorry I Ment To Say The Shell Company Only Puts Out Around 13 MILLION Metric Tons A DAY ---- 365 Days A Year And So We Shouldnt Use Our Fire Places !

Chris J Kapsalis December 25, 2012 at 12:17 am

Not to mention they pump out toxic petro chemical fumes and smoke. Wood? Well, it's natrual and been happening on earth for a billion years, in fact some trees cannot reproduce without natrually occuring wild fires. Yes, and the smoking ban was much more important that putting out .0002 grams os smoke could cost you $100. I did the math a few years ago, just by what Shell over polluted, I think it was something like 6 trillion dollars they would have to pay, by the cigerette standard. That sure would pay for a nice Marina. You know the air seemed pretty clean back in the days when everyone burned fires to keep warm. It wasn;t until these factories and refineries, industrial pollution, cars came to town that things got bad. Hmmm.

MIKE ALFORD December 25, 2012 at 12:27 am

Chris ---- You Better Be Carefull What You Are Saying ! ---- Your Making To Much Sense! ---- And You Know How The Air Qualty Cant Stand To Hear FACTS Like That ! Besides Your To Much a Danger ! --- They Dont Like people That Can Think For Themselfs ---- I thing I will go and Put Another Log On The Fire !!!

Gary Ridenour December 25, 2012 at 02:15 am

I like the smell of fireplaces in the morning

MIKE ALFORD December 25, 2012 at 02:16 am

NOW THATS THE SPIRIT ! --------

Chris J Kapsalis December 25, 2012 at 03:22 am

Out of the millions of cars and trucks and factories and refineries and............ in the Bay area they felt it nessasary to make US feel guilty for having a small fire in the fireplace on Christam Eve to gather around? I know what I want to say to them, but I better not. Enjoy your Christmas eve and throw an extra log on for me ok. I'll sleep just fine.

jane g December 25, 2012 at 03:52 am

Sooo what about those of us who don't have a heater?

MIKE ALFORD December 25, 2012 at 06:40 am

WELL ---- The Good Old Fashion Way, Cuddle Up !!!!!!!!

Chris J Kapsalis December 25, 2012 at 02:06 pm

Jack Broadbent, the district's executive officer. You need to be replaced. You think next time you cry wolf people will care what you say? All you had to do was look at the jet stream and check the weather and see you did not need to call for a spare the air alert day on Christmas Eve. So how many people did not have that fire last night? Taking some of the joy of peoples Christmas, for what? Your personal opinion you want to save the air so there is less a chance you would have to call one on Christmas day? And that's not the worst of it. Keep your opinions to yourself and go by facts, science, even a satellite image would have been nice. It is Christmas day and a light rain is falling and a slight wind and the furthest thing from a spare the air day is today, yet you felt the need to cry wolf? You need to go. That is my opinion. Hire someone who has common sense. You cry wolf like this, and when we really truly need to spare the air, people will be less likely to believe you. You failed big time and it was pretty obvious from the comments and weather patterns, and situation yesterday when you put out this alert, that it was not needed . Sorry to repeat myself, but there are days we really need to spare the air, for health reasons, seriously, and now people will more likely ignore true spare the air days. Good going. And what you did yesterday was unacceptable, incompident and as I said, you need to be replaced. And two Christmas eves in a row? Give me a break.

Jed December 25, 2012 at 03:19 pm

Has anybody noticed that ever since we were "gifted" (again) with a muzz-lame in the white house that all Christian values have been under attack? The "trickle-down" theory is in full play... the pretend prez says we can't have "Christmas" trees but instead have to have "holiday" trees.... BULLSHlT slides downhill; first to the senators, the congress dudes (who used to be MEN) - then to the guv-nors.... and finally to all the little bureaucratic flunkies in the districts evolving to this; three Christmass' in a row these air bag Scrooges tell us either not to burn (wood) in our fireplaces or that THEY could "breathe better" if we didn't. Well, HO HO HO, MERRY CHRISTMAS - those logs on the fires look really nice, so warm and toasty --- and all the smoke goes OUTSIDE where I see NO ONE huddled around or wandering about. Virtually EVERYBODY is either inside their homes or vehicles. And "indoor pollution" is a much greater threat, we are told.
I think this whole "air quality" thing is BOGUS - just another method of FEATHERBEDDING (look it up if you don't know what it is). Want another example of featherbedding - how about those "agricultural check stations" at the Calif. borders; "Do you have any fruits or nuts in the car?" That SOUNDS LIKE A PERSONAL QUESTION. MERRY CHRISTMAS, I need to go stoke the fire...

CJ December 25, 2012 at 04:08 pm

I just lit mine with a pile of Oak.
Merry Christmas fellow human beings, enjoy you're god given carbon based energy source

MIKE ALFORD December 25, 2012 at 11:18 pm

Hey ---- I ran out of wood ! And Theres Nothing Open ----- But The Guy Next door just gave some two railroad ties --- I had ti cot them in smaller pieces but boy do these things burn HOT ! Im going to cut more of them up so I dont run out !! Theres nothing Open and these really work good !!!!!! MERRY CHEISTMAS EVERYBODY !

DONALD E. BARKLEY December 26, 2012 at 12:55 am

I can't see how anyone can claim a "MORAL HI GROUND" about a home fireplace..// Terrible attributes//....... as long as Shell spews it's poison's!!
So let each enjoy a right to the comfort of a nice fire...or not!! I hope all enjoy a blessed CHRISTMAS and may GOD BLESS ALL!! Donald E. Barkley

MIKE ALFORD December 26, 2012 at 01:11 am

Dam It --- Those Railroad Ties Burn to fast But They Sure Give Off a Lot Of Heat ! The Neighbor Next Door to me has 4 old car tires Im going to bring one in from his car port If I can get it in my fire place here I get it started Im Sure it will give off enough heat --- Hell even if it does burn to fast theres 3 more and it will be helping him out because it will save him a trip to the dumps (And Save Him Some Money Also) Well Here Goes at Least It Will Be A Nice Warm Evening Here On Canyon Way ---- And I Can Just Sit Back And Listen to the Rain --- Man What more could You Ask For On A Cold And Rainey Night Like This

Jose December 26, 2012 at 03:19 am

Now that IS the Christmas spirit. Railroad ties and old tires do make for a bright fire, and you and your neighbor do save considerably on waste disposal fees, but if you really want heat output, try some spent nukulur fule rods. The color spectrum and heat production are hard to match. Just make sure you have enough carbon buildup in your fireplace b4 you add the fuel rods. The carbon will absorb a stray neutron or 2, and you and your family and your neighbor's family and your neighbor's neighbor's family will enjoy a silent night of extraordinary warmth and good will.
Oh, holy night, the stars are brightly shining! Sorry, I was off-key. Let me start again.

MIKE ALFORD December 26, 2012 at 04:08 am

Well (Linda) I mean Jose --- I Dont Think Anyone In Their Right Mind would even Talk About Things Like That ! The rest of us were talking about fire places and having a nice warm fire ------- But You being what & who you are well than (Right Mind) says it all ! You Know Talking About stuff as crazey as you just Patched someone take things like that and wonder just what you really mean --- By the way have you ever been in the mid - east ? its real warm over there

MIKE ALFORD December 26, 2012 at 04:24 am

What the hell is going on here -- Dave --- Please Make These People that Write On PATCH ---- Give their Real Names ! ---- When I First Signed on to Patch One Of The Things was to talk about What was on the thread ! The Other Was To Be UP FRONT with Our Names --- Just Like The Other Thread You Shut Down On The School Securty Two days ago When The lovely Linda Took What we were talking about and turned it into an experment on growing a woumb ? Now We All Know that she got confused (again) and went from the subject of school saftey T

MIKE ALFORD December 26, 2012 at 04:44 am

Sorry about that ---- went from school saftey to a bazar sugestion of some G.Y.N. experment ? it had nothing to do with the thread that you started you had a kot of people talking and giving their own thoughts on the subject --- but along comes Dances With Beavers (as the native people refer to her) and you had to end the thread ? But See If YOU made All Of Us Use our Real Names Well You Would Have Real People Talking about real subjects that you put up --- And we could all give our different views and more REAL people Would respond ! Most of All Everyone would know who was writing on Patch ---- Most of these people dont have any value or facts they can only refer to WEB SITES -- they have no real thoughts of thrir own ---- Thats Why They Put Them On The General Commision

MIKE ALFORD December 26, 2012 at 04:49 am

Well I Still Think We Shouldnt Start Those Fire Place Fires On Nights Like This ! What Do You think Mr. Barkley ?

MIKE ALFORD December 26, 2012 at 04:58 am

Im sure that people will forgive you ---- We Can and have seen Why you have these problems and WHY --- No Men Will Go There ! Just Go To Sleep Everything Will Be OK in The Morning (After The Hangover)

David Mills (Editor) December 26, 2012 at 01:56 pm

Thanks for your comments, folks. We think everyone has had a chance to express their opinions on this issue, so we are closing off comments.