Wood Smoke Stories

Apartment smells like smoke

We live in Seaside, Oregon and our neighbor chops wood every day and burns it in this weird homemade wood burner on his balcony nearly 24/7. We call him Paul Bunyan. It’s like he has a fetish with burning wood. There is literally no reason for him to burn the wood —he doesn’t need it for heat (it’s not cold here) and as far as recreation goes—it’s on his balcony! He could burn down his building or ours or the buildings on the other side.

Our apartment is the building next door to his, but our apartments are basically next to each other. His wood burning makes our entire apartment smell like smoke even when all of the windows and doors are closed. It is nauseating. It makes me feel sick, makes my eyes burn, and gives me a wicked headache. I have a serious illness and my mother is my caregiver (she is in her 70s and retired) and we are not able to move (there is nowhere to move to) so we are stuck with the fire burning freak. It is absolutely ridiculous that people are allowed to do this to other people.

More wood smoke stories

A “nightmare” in Victoria, Australia
…their chimney is at my eye level about 15 feet off my verandah, living room and bedroom…
Forced to leave Dundas, Ontario
…a close neighbor started outdoor burns in his backyard using a vintage wood stove with an attached, homemade 4.5' smokestack…
Smoked out by a Defra-approved stove
…Three air purifiers in the house, no ventilation possible, caused mould for the first time ever… Soot on the walls…