Mendenhall Valley residents might not even have to leave their homes to find out if it’s safe to use their wood stove this winter.
Through a partnership with Verizon Wireless, the City and Borough of Juneau is providing a free text messaging service to Valley residents to let them know if an air emergency has been called or cancelled. Between Oct. 1 and April 30, the Lands & Resources Division runs the CBJ Air Quality Monitoring Program in the Valley.
Staff members monitor air quality data to detect fine particulates from wood smoke in the air. If data shows an unhealthy concentration of these particles and weather patterns aren’t clearing the air, CBJ will declare an air emergency. Wood stove burning is prohibited during air emergencies. Pellet stoves are exempt and can burn at anytime, as can masonry heaters that fit the definition given by the Masonry Heater Association of North America.
If Valley residents want to, they can sign up for CBJ’s text message alert system by going to the Lands & Resources page on the city’s website at www.juneau.org/lands. If people don’t want to sign up for the alert system, they can visit one of the 12 neon yellow burn ban signs located in the Valley or call the CBJ Wood Smoke Hotline anytime at 586-5333.
