Can You Burn Genuine Firewood in Colorado?
Even though there are many environmental restrictions related to burning wood that have been added through the years, you can still burn firewood in Colorado. Don’t let misconceptions about wood-burning make you miss out on enjoying the incredible benefits of contemporary, efficient fireplaces, fireplace inserts, wood stoves, and pellet stoves.
Fact About Wood Burning
Appliances that are not up to current codes cannot be installed, sold, or resold. Colorado Phase III stoves can be installed as long as they must pass standards for both particulate matter standards and carbon monoxide emission. EPA Phase II certified stoves must only pass particulate emissions standards.
A fireplace can be set up and used in a Colorado residence as long as it is electric, gas, a certified stove or wood burning insert, or an approved pellet stove insert or pellet stove.
Indoor Burning Restrictions
Air Quality Action Day is a day for fighting situations in which air quality is either unhealthy for sensitive groups or unhealthy in general. Action Days in Colorado commence voluntary pollution prevention measures, which vary from season to season. The use of wood burning fireplaces and stoves is prohibited on Air Quality Action Days unless:
- The stove is an approved pellet stove.
- The appliance location is above 7,000 feet in elevation.
- The stove is either Colorado Phase III or EPA Phase II certified.
- The wood burning stove is the principal source of heat or provides more than half of the annual heating for a home.
Colorado Regulation No. 4
Up-to-date guidelines for the sale, installation, and operation of several new wood-burning appliances are given by Colorado’s Air Pollution Control Regulation No. 4. The units regulated include fireplaces, masonry heaters, pellet stoves, wood-burning stoves, and exempt devices. This regulation applies to all residential dwellings in the seven-county Denver-Metropolitan area. On high pollution days between November 1st through March 31st in most of this area, there is a mandatory ban on the use of non-certified wood-burning appliances, regardless of the type of fuel they burn.
For new devices, we recommend buying a certified, approved wood-burning appliance for your home that meets current Colorado standards. These efficient appliances, packed with benefits, are sold by Hi-Tech Appliance in Louisville, Colorado. Check out the best fireplaces here.
