
Christmas wasn't quite the same last night without a roaring wood-burning fire in the fireplace. Suppose the
Christmas day ban (PDF) on using "fireplaces, woodstoves and inserts, pellet stoves, outdoor fire pits, or any other wood-burning devices" (unless such a device is a home's only source of heat) was a small price to pay to prevent a lousy time for people sensitive to
particulate matter. Didn't realize that Bay Area residents are expected to check whether or not it's okay to use their fireplaces during the
Winter Spare the Air Alert season.