Thanks to my wonderful neighbours

[bevanboy]

A nice warm day, so back garden door open, I fall asleep on my sofa, and my neighbour decides to light a bonfire. I wake up and all I can smell and taste in the house is bonfire smoke, I rush to close my back door, but its really to late, I suffer from COPD, heart Failure and Type 2 diabetes, I have been awake most of the night struggling with breathing, I have a rough croaky voice this morning, I am sure I will recover from this ordeal, but it just shows how your breathing can be affected in a bad way through a situation beyond your control, so my advice is watch out for bonfires and barbecues. Best wishes to all of you Bevanboy.

[RoadRunner44]

Do your neighbours know of your health problems? If they do then it's disgraceful. .Check local regulations and by laws on lighting bonfires as I'm pretty sure bonfires aren't allowed at the moment.

[Bkin]

Bonfires not permitted during the day, BBQs on the other hand are. You could report the bonfires if they are a regular occurrence. Bonfires in this heat could be a real fire hazzard.

At a later date when you are feeling up to it and the air is not smoke polluted you could explain your situation to the neighbour and ask if they could let you know before hand so you can close your windows and doors.

Hope you have some way of clearing the smokey air inside your home and that you are feeling better soon, breathing easier and sleeping well.

[bevanboy in reply to Bkin]

Hi thanks for your reply, my neighbour knows of my health problems, but did not realize I had my back door open, it is not a regular occurrence, it was in the evening, plus I do not want to cause friction between myself and my neighbour, we have been neighbours for over 20 years, it was just an unfortunate incident in which he says he will come and tell me in the future if he wants to burn anything. I have any one of seven neighbours in my local vicinity that could light bonfires, so if its not one it could well be the other, I have all the windows and back door open today in my house so the fresh air will clear the smokey air, but not all my neighbours know I have breathing difficulties so I am going to go around and tell them all today, all I ask is to be fair and just let me know and I can shut my windows and doors accordingly and try and protect my lungs. regards Bevanboy

[Bkin in reply to bevanboy]

That's great you have a good relationship with your neighbour and evening bonfires are permitted within reason, great you already had the conversation and he is going to tell you in the future when he wants to burn anything. Perfect.

Wishing you good sleeps tonight, easy breathing and ongoing good relations with your neighbours.

Best wishes Bkin

[Davegt in reply to Bkin]

Bonfires are permitted during the day, unfortunately.

"Contrary to some belief there are no restrictions on the time of day, or day of the week that someone can have a fire. Generally speaking if you live in a domestic property and are burning domestic or garden waste then you can have a fire whenever you like."

Birmingham City Council have threatened people with fines of up to £5000 if they are burning the wrong kind of rubbish! That is an environmental health issue.

[Bkin in reply to Davegt]

If its a safe Bonfire there is no problem, its when it gets out of hand. There are lots of reference to what's permitted and what's not, the government have guidelines and also local councils.

Here is an excerpt from my local Council:

The law and bonfires

Bonfires can cause a nusiance to other people:

•by making asthma, bronchitis or other respiratory conditions worse

•by affecting visibility for drivers on nearby roads

•because fire can spread to nearby fences or buildings

There are no byelaws restricting bonfires in ----------- Area and there are no specific times of day restricting bonfires.

However if smoke is caused by a bonfire is creating a nuisance, the council has powers to take action under the provisions of the Environmental Protection Act 1990.

If a bonfire is causing smoke to drift across a road, please contact the police.

Private individuals can also take action through a Magistrates' Court.

--------------------

Its down to people being responsible when having a bonfire really.

If they are not responsible then you can take action.

But I think in bevanboy's case its sorted

[aunttomany]

i hope you feel better soon i have had the same happen to me not very pleasent take care

[HampshireLass]

Fortunately in my area bonfires are banned during the Covid 19 pandemic.

[Jaybird19]

And what about shower gel . Without casting g aspersions men , usually young men use the most powerful smelling showergel. I know a number of us have a problem with perfumes. Here we have a water supply problem at present--- too little water to activate elecric showers in all eleven houses and next door neighbour in terrace takes all family out for the day to relatives / friends finishing up with showers before coming back early evening . Their door is under my balcony and windows

Warm air rises with this perfume and drives me inside with door and window closed. South facing room with wall to wall windows gets very hot despite curtains closed against sun. But i cannot breathe with this really overpowering perfume and its already in my living room. So i have to go to kitchen . Only saved by my heating system . This is warm- air heating and has summer cooling . So i open air vent in room and turn it on . Takes air from ground floor facing north and always cool/cold. Front door open there too .

30 mins later I can sit in sitting room again , perfume dispersed.

I really do like my heating system . Warm very quickly or cooling at a touch.

All this for over- strong shower gel ,

.