Avoid lighting bonfires at all costs

Think of your safety and the safety of others before burning garden waste on a bonfire. 

That the message Homes in Sedgemoor is sending out to its customers as the gardening season moves into top gear. 

It follows an incident in which a fire spread from a garden bonfire to a house, causing severe damage. 

While there are no bylaws banning bonfires or restricting the days or times when they are acceptable, the smoke from bonfires can stop your neighbours from using their gardens, opening their windows or hanging out their washing – and can cause long-term damage to neighbourhood relationships.  

There are laws that affect burning rubbish, as it can cause distress and may constitute what is known as a “statutory nuisance”.  This happens if the bonfires ‘substantially interfered with the well-being, comfort or enjoyment of an individual’s property’.  Usually, this would mean that bonfires were too big, went on for too long or happened too regularly.  

The burning of general waste is not considered environmentally friendly either, as many toxic chemicals can be released that may harm human health or the environment. Even garden trimmings that are still green give off lots of smoke, and materials like plastics and rubber create poisonous chemicals when they are burnt. 

Disposing of garden waste is best done by composting – a garden shredder will help reduce it to mulch. You can find more information about home composting by clicking here.

Or you can take it to a Household Recycling Centre, which will often take less time and be less inconvenient than burning. Find your nearest centre on the Somerset Waste Partnership website.  

If the production of garden waste is a regular thing, contact Somerset Waste Partnership to sign up for a green bin or green waste sacks.

An annual wheely bin subscription costs £57.20 and packs of ten garden waste sacks cost £28.30. 

Bonfire guidelines 

If you must light a bonfire here are some tips from Devon and Somerset Fire Service: 

• Use a metal incinerator and locate it well away from anything flammable. This includes trees, long, dry grass, sheds, houses, garages and cars. Make sure it’s not underneath any electricity cables.  
• Tell Devon and Somerset Fire Service you are having a bonfire by calling 0333 399 0014. This is so the Fire Service can check in with you if they receive any 999 calls reporting a fire in the same area, which means firefighters won’t attend bonfires when they are not needed 
• Stay with your bonfire at all times, and keep a bucket of water or hosepipe handy, and your mobile phone handy in case of emergencies 
• Keep pets and children at a safe distance and never leave them alone with a burning fire 
• Make sure the fire is completely out before leaving it, as it dies, spray it with water to stop it from reigniting, remember the embers will stay very hot for a long time, so make sure it is cool before leaving it unattended.

Things you should not burn:

• Fuel (petrol, diesel or paraffin) 
• Household rubbish (for example, Plastics) 
• Aerosol cans 
• Lighter fluid 
• Tyres 
• Fireworks 
• Gas canisters 
• Foam 
• Paint 
• Anything wet 

If I have to burn garden waste, what hours can I have a bonfire? 

Despite what you may have heard, there are no “bonfire bylaws” that control the hours you are allowed to have domestic bonfires. There are no such rules and instead, Homes in Sedgemoor assess whether the bonfires are causing a statutory nuisance under the Environmental Protection Act 1990.  

Being a good neighbour 

• Only burn dry materials. This will minimise the amount of smoke produced. 
• Never burn general household rubbish, plastics, foam, treated wood or similar items 
• Check no one has any laundry drying in nearby gardens and remember that smoke can drift a long way 
• Make sure smoke doesn’t blow across roads, making driving hazardous for passing motorists 
• Don’t have a fire late in the evening as the smoke tends to hang close to the ground. 
• Have a quick, hot fire to reduce smoke emissions. 
• Remember your personal safety and never use liquid fuels to get a fire going. 
• Talk to your neighbours before lighting a fire – they might have concerns you can calm by having the fire at a different time 

What should you do if you are concerned about a neighbour’s bonfire?

If you have a complaint, it is best to discuss it initially with the person responsible; they may not realise they are causing a problem. Try to be reasonable, otherwise, your discussions are likely to end in further argument. Explain the details of your complaint and try to agree on a reasonable solution or compromise.

If this does not resolve the issue and the neighbour is a Homes in Sedgemoor client, contact customer.services@homesinsedgemoor.org or call 0800 585 360 or 01278 552 400.