'Wood-burning stoves are making my asthma worse'
BBCA woman who has asthma is urging people who use wood-burning stoves to be careful what they burn as she feared the effect they could have on her breathing.
Sarah Mackiewicz, from Burton-upon-Trent, Staffordshire, has lived with the condition since she was born and said she needed medication every day to manage it.
She claimed emissions from neighbouring homes using wood-burning stoves were having a serious effect on her health.
The Stove Industry Association (SIA) said modern appliances were more efficient and released fewer emissions than older ones.
"You can feel your lungs closing so you'll take your inhaler in the hope your lungs will open," Mackiewicz told BBC Midlands Today.
"If I'm out...and exposed to [emissions], my lungs become more and more inflamed."
She claimed she almost died about three years ago as a result of her illness, adding: "I'm frightened of being in that position again."
Mackiewicz said she understood the appeal of wood-burning stoves but more education was needed about using the right type of fuel.
Tim Sherwin, owner of fireplace centre Stoke Flame in Stoke-on-Trent, agreed and said poor use of the stoves and the type of wood burnt was giving his industry a bad name.
"It's all about education, burning the right timbers, not putting in bits of old pallet and bits of old wood lying around," he added.
He recommended people used hardwood, adding that timber choice was "just as important as the appliance".
The government is currently carrying out a consultation, looking at the domestic burning of solid fuels like wood, which ends on 19 March.
A spokesperson said wood-burning stoves were a major source of fine particulate matter – tiny particles which could enter people's lungs and bloodstream.
The SIA said the consultation missed an important issue by not tackling older stoves, pointing to tests which they claimed showed modern stoves could produce up to 80% less particulate matter compared to older ones.
However Erica Malkin, executive director, said she recognised there was an issue with air quality.
"But let's not forget that the air quality in this country is better than it's ever been," she added.
"So you could argue that the government would be better off looking at that older technology and encouraging people to replace it."
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