Winter Spare the Air 2009

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.