The first day of the Denver area’s winter air-pollution forecasts brings with it some bad news: a “red” advisory that makes burning wood in the fireplace a crime today.
Light winds could allow small particles of pollutants to reduce visibility beyond acceptable standards, state health officials said.
The tiny airborne particles – primarily from automobile and industrial emissions – can become imbedded in a person’s respiratory tract and cause breathing difficulties.
As a result, commuters are encouraged to limit driving and mandatory wood-burning bans are in place for the seven-county metro area for today’s official start of the high-pollution advisory program.
Violators who burn without approved low-emitting stoves or inserts can be fined as much as $15,000 a day. Suspected violations may be reported to the residential burning hotline at 303-692-3280.
The pollution forecasts include carbon monoxide and ozone, but those pollutants are expected to be within the standards today.
Visibility is determined by a device called a transmissometer, a small telescope and sensor housed atop a building near Cheesman Park that measures the intensity of a light from a building 1.5 miles away.
Steve Lipsher: 970-513-9495 or slipsher@denverpost.com
