Burning Live Oak

[3RRL]

My new Log home in CA is about 150 miles SouthEast of the Bay area. It's near Sequoia National Park about 8 miles from the South entrance to the Park. It's a small rural town of 2500 people where most heat by firewood like we do. We had to get a permitted EPA approved wood burning stove (2 years ago now) like the guys in the Bay area are talking about, but I know there are restrictions for the new homes even in our area. I'm not sure, but it has something to do with acreage where they allow only a certain number of permits in certain areas now. In our section of this area, the minimum is 5 acres and only one residence (and one stove) on it.

We have 99% Oak on our property. Mostly Blue Oak but many other species such as Live, Valley, Engelmann(sp) etc. We've had downed trees for nearly 4 years and are just starting to gather and cut it. Oak is wonderful in stove. It burns clean and hot. A full load will burn through the night and I can get another load in the morning which fires right up. Further South in our city home we burn mostly Eucalyptus wood. Right now there are no restrictions on burning in the fireplace down there either.

I would hate to see the Bay area restrictions spread to either of our locations, especially to our new rural home. Our wood burning stove is our primary source of heat. We do have heating and air conditioning powered by propane and solar energy, but we have tons of Oak to burn up there and planned on using that. There are many residences up there that don't have any other source of heating. They have propane, perhaps no furnace plumbing. Propane is also a commodity and prices fluctuate accordingly. It's like a resort mountain community so many of them are small log cabins and very rural. Access is a problem. It would cost a fortune for some to have gas lines, phone lines and electrical pulled up to their place or just to have it plumbed. That's also why we didn't do that. We are not connected to the grid or anything.

 

[ultrarunner]

For anyone interested... here is a 4 page link to some of what's going on in the Bay Area.

Scroll down and you will find the mandatory removal of non compliant stoves upon sale or in some cases when a remodeling permit is taken out... right now it depends on location.

http://www.baaqmd.gov/pio/wood_burning/ordinance_stricter.pdf

 

[_RaT_]

I have had a fire going in my wood stove now non stop since Thanksgiving. We have no restrictions on burning in our location and nothing into the future, heck, we can burn our stuff outside as well. You just have to remember, the Bay area is about as liberal as anything in the US can be. Thankfully, its politics don't make it over here. California is diverse when it comes to ideologies. There is much of California that is quite conservative but as the print and alphabet media would have it, you only hear about the extremes form here. I happen to live in one of those conservative counties. If you travel anywhere along the Ocean counties, its very liberal. Nothing a good earth quake can't take care of though.

If I burn Live Oak, Blue Oak etc., that has seasoned for a year, it burns well, for two years it is fantastic.

 

[scott_vt]

If you travel anywhere along the Ocean counties, its very liberal. Nothing a good earth quake can't take care of though.

Good Afternoon RaT,
Thats a classic !!! Thanks for the chuckle !

 

[3RRL]

In that case, I'd end up with beach front property?

 

[ultrarunner]

In that case, I'd end up with beach front property?

Me too!!! Although my elevation is only 525 feet...

 

[_RaT_]

IF that happens, don't drink the water! There is something in it and I don't mean salt. It will turn you into something other than what you currently are. If your red, you will end up voting blue, if your blue you'll go purple.

PS, I'm safe, I'm at 500'

 

[EastTexFrank]

How about we revert to the good old days when most of the homes in many cities were heated with coal? Makes for great "atmosphere", like the London smog of the past.

I'm old enough to remember those days and you're right, I wouldn't want to return to them. Even is you didn't have respiratory problems, it "hurt" to breathe. It also killed dozens of people every year. Some form of air quality control IS necessary, especially in large cities.

As far as burning the old oak goes, if it's not burning well, it's too wet. Restack it and cover it allowing for good air circulation and it'll dry out again. Then it shouldn't be a problem. I do love a wood fire.