- The benefits of wood fires
- Balancing the environmental impact
- Health impacts of wood smoke
- Burning wood more sustainably
- Site Induction – Open Fires
- Smokeless Fire pits
- For more information
- Our current policy on Open Fires
The benefits of wood fires
Sharing an open fire can foster connection, relaxation, and conversation. It can help create a calm atmosphere, evoke nostalgia, and enhance social experiences. The fire serves as a focal point for storytelling, music, drumming, song or games, adding to the enjoyment and potentially making the gathering more memorable and meaningful.
Cooking on an open fire or stove offers unique benefits, including a distinct smoky flavour that can enhance food. It’s versatile, allowing grilling, roasting, and can be easily adjusted by managing the fire. It fosters a deeper connection with nature and provides a cost-effective option in remote off-grid areas. Cooking with fire also develops valuable skills and creates a social, communal experience, and can be a potentially more sustainable method when using responsibly sourced wood.
Balancing the environmental impact
If you require a fire at a social event at Meadow Orchard, please consider the risk / benefit assessment. If you only need heat for a soup or kettle, alternatives are available such as our bio char ovens and stoves. If you need heat, perhaps the radiant heat from our clay rocket stove will provide that. The majority of heat from an open fire goes straight up, along with the wood gas or smoke. Is there a need for a fire every week or can their frequency be reduced so that it feels more special as a monthly or seasonal activity to celebrate a particular event.
Health impacts of wood smoke
Burning wood on an open fire emits a huge amount of particle pollution (PM2.5) even more so than when wood is burnt in modern Defra-approved wood burning stoves. Burning wood is a major contributor to local air pollution. Wood burning in homes currently produces more pollution than road traffic, according to new research.
Wood smoke contains known carcinogens such as benzene, formaldehyde, arsenic and mercury, as well as tiny particles of pollution (PM2.5) that can lodge in our organs causing long-term health issues. Wood smoke is especially harmful to children, elderly, and people with lung and heart disease.
An 11 year study of 50,000 women in America found that even occasional wood burning is associated with a 43% increase in lung cancer in women and an increased risk of breast cancer. PM2.5 from wood burning has been linked to a range of conditions, including decreased lung development and function, exacerbation of asthma, allergies, COPD (chronic obstructive pulmonary disorder), pulmonary fibrosis and links with increased morbidity and mortality. The evidence on woodsmoke is so conclusive that the Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health have called for a phase out of wood burners.
Burning wood more sustainably
Our examples of Rocket stoves on site offer several benefits over open fires. They are more efficient, burning a fraction of the wood and produce less smoke and particulate due to more complete combustion. This reduces fuel consumption, lowers environmental impact, and prevents air pollution. Rocket stoves cook food faster by focusing heat, and they are safer, with less risk of accidental fires or burns. They are compact, portable, and ideal for off-grid living. With less ash left behind, cleanup is easier. Rocket stoves provide a cleaner, safer, and more efficient alternative to open fires.
Site Induction – Open Fires
If you would like to use our stoves or fire circle please ask one of our Site Leaders for an Induction or send us an email to meadoworchardproject@gmail.com for more information. We want our site users to be safe and consider health and sustainability with their cooking and social activities on site.
Smokeless Fire pits
A smokeless fire pit is designed to burn wood more efficiently, producing minimal smoke compared to traditional fire pits. These fire pits feature a double-wall construction that allows air to circulate, leading to more complete combustion and reducing the amount of unburned particles and woodgases (wood smoke). As a result, they create less smoke, provide a cleaner, healthier and more enjoyable experience for those around the fire. Smokeless fire pits also produce less soot and ash, making cleanup easier. Offering a more comfortable, environmentally friendly alternative to conventional open fires.
For more information
London Woodburning Project with resources to download, public health awareness campaign led by the boroughs of Camden and Islington
Southampton Council website and resources (the Environment Centre)
Mums for Lungs information on wood burning and flyers (free to download and use)
Impact on Urban Health Stakeholder toolkit with poster to download on page 10 (which has been used by Hackney Council in its local magazine)
Doctors + Scientists Against Wood Smoke Pollution website
Our current policy on Open Fires
Please view our current Fire Policy Here:
Meadow Orchard Project 