This winter has been accompanied by frigid temperatures, leaving Valley residents wanting to use their wood-burning devices. For those households that have not yet registered their devices, there still is time. For the homes that have an older wood-burning device, there is still funding available to convert your device to a more efficient and less polluting unit. By converting your open hearth fireplace, older wood stove or older wood insert to an EPA certified wood-burning device, you will be able to light a fire on cold winter nights more often while reducing the Valley’s air pollution.

Valley residents wanting to switch out older wood-burning devices for a cleaner model can take advantage of the District’s Burn Cleaner grants which provide $1,000 for certified wood or pellet inserts/freestanding stoves or natural gas inserts or $2,500 for eligible low-income applicants for all devices. An additional $500 is available to all applicants for the installation costs on a natural gas device. Visit www.valleyair.org/burncleaner for program guidelines. A total of up to $3,000 may be available in some instances to change out your older, dirty-burning device for something cleaner.

Smoke from residential wood burning constitutes the largest source of dangerous particulate emissions during winter months.

“The ‘Check Before You Burn’ program provides an opportunity for Valley residents to do their part to help reduce air pollution and improve public health throughout the San Joaquin Valley,” said District Administrator Seyed Sadredin.