January 23, 2004

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Publication Date: Friday, January 23, 2004

C'mon baby, douse my fire

By Lia Steakley

The friendly glow of a crackling fireplace is a welcome escape from the cold and darkness of winter evenings. But what looks like an economical method of keeping warm is really an environmental pollutant in disguise.

Wood-burning stoves and fireplaces emit approximately 30 percent of the Bay Area's particulate matter and on stagnant evenings, the tiny particles can become trapped close to the Earth's surface. Once inhaled, the particulates can become lodged in the lungs, resulting in asthmatic symptoms, a reduction in lung function and occasionally death.

To remedy the problem, Santa Clara County created a rebate program to encourage residents to replace their old wood-burning stoves and fireplaces with those powered by natural gas. The county is offering $300 to residents who swap their old-fashioned fireplace for a gas-burning one and $500 for those who replace a wood-burning stove with a gas model.

"The old stoves are really smoky, and those are the ones we are really after," said Ralph Borrmann, spokesperson for the Bay Area Air Quality Management District. "An old stove, those that are 12 or more years old, will (emit) 68 grams in one hour. In comparison, a gas stove will emit just .07 grams an hour. That is a huge reduction."

The program has limited funding and operates on a first-come, first-served basis. The county is trying to eliminate 1,700 wood-burning stoves and fireplaces, which would decrease the amount of winter pollution by 60 tons.

The program is designed to offset the particulate emissions from nearby power plants and is paid for by the new Calpine-Los Esteros Power Plant in Alviso and a planned power plant in Santa Clara.

"The California Energy Commission decided they wanted to provide some sort of mitigations for the emissions of these new plants, and they decided they wanted to reduce particulates," said Borrmann. "We realized that wood stoves were a large producer of particulates especially in winter time."

The rebates only apply to homeowners who must install a gas line to convert their wood-burning fireplace or stove.

Janis Carter, of The Stove Works in Mountain View, said she has received a lot of calls from residents interested in replacing their old fireplaces and stoves with ones that use natural gas. The installation and costs vary depending on the location of both the fireplace and the gas line. Carter said, on average, the process takes a week and costs $3,000.

For residents who want to preserve the aesthetic of their wood-burning fireplace, there are several ways to add color and light the space.

Using candles can be an inexpensive and quick way to brighten the inside of a fireplace, said Carol Jorgenson, of Carol Jorgenson Interior Design in Menlo Park.

"My mother started putting candles in her fireplace a long time ago," she said. "She would have the wood stacked as if it was going to have a fire and then place the votive (candles) on top. This was before they made the stands for them. It's a great way if you are going to have a party to put light in the fireplace rather than having a fire. Otherwise it is extremely dark."

Although several stores now carry a variety of stands in different decorating schemes and sizes, Jorgenson said that using votives is often easier and cheaper. And using multi-colored glass containers can bring out the room's color scheme.

If young children will be roaming around and small candles are not an option, dried or fresh-flower arrangements or panels crafted of a special fabric are also quick ways to dress up a vacant fireplace, said Valentina Cirasola, owner of Sunnyvale-based Trullo Interiors. Or simply wall off the front of the fireplace with decorative screens.

"You can make panels with fabrics. For one living room that had a French country decor, I made padded panels with fabric that had an old country scene on it," she said. "Each building was padded underneath -- the farm house and barn -- and the rest of the field was not padded to make it look like a relief."

For those looking to really wow guests, Cirasola suggests taking the panel approach one step further. Using a wooden screen, puncture it across the front to make dozens of small holes and paint the screen black. Completely close off the front of the fireplace using the wooden screen. Measure around the top edges of the screen and cut a piece of wood to fit over the top. Take the second piece of wood and again make tiny holes around the front and paint it black. Rest the second panel over the screen to create a dark wooden hut. Place lamps or fiber optics inside. When turned on, the lights will spill out of the small perforations creating a nighttime sky effect.

Small houseplants can be added around the front bottom edges to create a garden look while concealing any lamp cords running from the sides.

If you're looking for a more Zen decorating scheme, Chi Chen of UrbanChi in Mountain View suggests following the rules of feng shui.

"Fire is one of the five elements in feng shui, so the color you would want to use would be red," she said. "You also always want to include some part of nature so sugar berries would be a good choice or the pomegranate fruit."

Chen added that the triangle shape is very important. Using wood or logs, decorations can be built in a triangular form, or candles can be arranged by height.

"Since fire is generated by wood, I would also say to have wooden chairs placed around the fireplace. Other decorations, such as statues, can be added around the (hearth) or on the mantel," she said.

For a more traditional appearance, Heidi Menard, an interior designer with Ambiance Designs in Palo Alto, said that using leftover Christmas decorations such as the tree trimmings, pine cones and holly is a simple fix to beautifying a nonworking fireplace.

"The fireplace is the focal point architecturally. You can also use decorative andirons and birch logs with a really nice screen," she said.

She also suggested building a small pile of pine cones that have been spray-painted gold or silver on top of extra tree trimmings or placing pine needles and old bows under the birch logs. To add a dash of color, Menard agrees with Chen that pomegranates are the way to go this year.

Whether you're creating a "starry night" with fiber optics, adding glitz and glamour with gold and silver or trying to bring a moment of Zen to the holidays, Menard said the most important thing is to start with a clean fireplace.

For information on Santa Clara County rebates, visit www.sparetheair.org or call (415) 749-4791.