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Residential wood burning has been increasing in Minnesota. The majority of wood burned is for home heating, but recreational fires are the most common reason people burn wood. The increase is concerning because 55% of direct fine particle emissions in the state come from wood burning. Wood smoke also contains wood tars, gases, and soot, and chemicals such as carbon monoxide, dioxins, and volatile organic compounds (VOCs).

People who frequently breathe wood smoke are at risk for serious adverse health effects. Short-term exposure to fine particles (also known as PM) in the air can aggravate lung disease, trigger asthma attacks and acute bronchitis, and may also increase the risk of respiratory infections. Scientists have also linked short-term exposures to heart attacks and abnormal heartbeats. Over time, breathing fine particles increases the chances of developing chronic obstructive lung disease (COPD), chronic bronchitis, cardiovascular disease, or lung cancer. In high concentrations, wood smoke can permanently damage lung tissue. Young children, the elderly, and people with asthma, lung, or heart disease are especially vulnerable to these effects.

From May 2023 – April 2024, Minnesotans burned 1.024 million cords of wood. If all that wood were stacked on a single football field, the pile would rise about half a mile high and be nearly as tall as the Burj Khalifa, the tallest building in the world.

Home heating

In Minnesota, the largest proportion of wood burned is for a primary heat source in people’s homes. Wood stoves are the most common wood heating appliance used in Minnesota. About 21% of all wood burned in the state was burned in wood stoves. Roughly half of these stoves were manufactured before 1989, prior to the establishment of EPA’s first emission standards. As a result, these older units were not subject to emissions regulations when produced and are more polluting. New wood-burning appliances sold in Minnesota must be EPA-certified to 2020 emission standards; dealers selling models that aren’t certified are violating the law.

While wood stoves are the most common wood-burning heating devices, there are also wood central heaters, including outdoor wood boilers and wood furnaces. These appliances are much less common but burn more wood per unit. According to data from our 2024 Residential Wood Combustion Survey, outdoor wood boilers and wood furnaces burned approximately four times more wood per unit than wood stoves.

If you're in the market for a wood-burning appliance, buy from a reputable dealer and have it installed by a National Fireplace Institute (NFI)-certified technician. Buy the right size for your home and compare the listed emissions of stoves that you are considering. The EPA’s certified wood heater database can be used to compare emission rates and efficiency across all certified EPA wood-burning appliances. Often the lowest-polluting appliance is also the most efficient, meaning that they provide more heat per cord of wood.

For Tribes, the Environmental Initiative offers financial incentives for stove upgrades through its Project Stove Swap. The program offers money to income-qualified Tribal members for swapping older, inefficient wood burning stoves for new models.

Open and recreational fires

In 2021, the MPCA collaborated with the USDA Forest Service Fire Sciences Laboratory to conduct recreational outdoor firepit emissions testing. The most important things we learned from our study is that small fires using clean, dry wood give off the least emissions.

The state fire code limits the size of outdoor recreational fires and portable fireplaces to 3 feet across. Anything larger requires a burn permit from the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources (DNR), which regulates open burning to minimize the risk of wildfires.

Consider alternative options for recreational fires, such as propane-fueled or “low-smoke” wood-burning fire pits. It’s also a good idea to check with your neighbors to make sure they are okay with it.

Local governments may set more stringent regulations for backyard recreational fires, such as restricting fires on air quality alert days, allowing them at certain times, or requiring permits. Check with your city and county to learn about restrictions in your area.

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