Bonfires - advice for households

• Check for hedgehogs and other wildlife such as nesting birds that might be using the pile before lighting your bonfire
• Organic compost and garden arisings can be used to make great habitat homes for encouraging wildlife into your gardens and so don’t need to be burnt.
• The nutrients from the decomposing plants are valuable to go back into the soil and ground.
• Fire can also significantly damage the soil ecology and plant species long term

Smoke from a bonfire can cause a nuisance to your neighbours. It can be distressing to people suffering with asthma or bronchial problems. Bonfires also impact on the general air quality throughout the city.

Remember: check with your surrounding neighbours before lighting a bonfire or barbecue.

If you still plan to have a bonfire, to limit smoke, you should:

• burn dry wood only – damp or green wood produces much more smoke and carbon emissions.
• construct your bonfire with plenty of space for air in the pile so that it burns hotter and faster – it will produce less smoke and carbon emissions.

We recommend not having a bonfire.

• Build the bonfire in a remote area of the garden away from trees and fences.
• Consider your neighbours!
  • do neighbours have washing out?
  • are they using their gardens?
  • are their windows open?
• Never leave a bonfire unattended.
• Douse fire once material is consumed by the fire to avoid smouldering.
• Burn only small amounts of dry garden waste.
• Remember: It can be an offence to cause a smoke nuisance to your neighbours.
• Never use oil, petrol or methylated spirits to light a fire – you could harm yourself as well as the environment.
• If the ground is very dry or parched fires might spread faster than expected.

When burnt, seemingly harmless domestic wastes can produce toxic fumes. Such materials include plastics, foam, paint, rubber, shipboard, plywoods and wood treated with paint or varnish. Some of these toxins are known to be carcinogenic.

Domestic rubbish will be accepted free of charge at our recycling sites.

Find out what you can take to our recycling sites and where to find them.

Think of a more sustainable way to recycle your garden waste without using a bonfire.

Compost organic and garden waste. Consider hiring a chipper for large amounts of green waste or join a community composting scheme.

Find out how to set up home composting.

Sign up for garden waste collections.

Smoke from a bonfire can cause offence.

Persistent offenders can be issued with a Community Protection Warning Notice (CPW/N).

If breached you could get:

• a fixed penalty notice of £100
• a fine up to £2500
• unlimited fine for a business or commercial property

If you are affected by smoke from a neighbour’s bonfire or need further advice please contact Environmental Protection.

• phone: 01273 294266
• email: ehl.environmentalprotection@ brighton-hove.gov.uk
• Environmental Protection Brighton & Hove City Council 2nd Floor, Bartholomew House Bartholomew Square, BN1 1JP

Find out how to reduce pollution from bonfires.

Find out about wood burning emissions.