WOODWAY WEDNESDAY WEEKLY

MARCH 11, 2026

ARE WOODSTOVES THE GREATEST SOURCE OF PM2.5 PARTICLE EMISSIONS IN THE FNSB?

THE ANSWER IS - WE DON'T KNOW!

Summary of Fairbanks PM2.5 Attainment Plans

The control strategy in the Fairbanks North Star Borough area plan focuses on reducing emissions from home heating devices, in addition to other source categories. Control measures include an opacity limit and mandatory curtailment program for solid-fuel heaters, emissions standards for new wood heater installations, a requirement to burn only dry wood in wood heaters, a woodstove changeout program, and a prohibition on open burning, among other requirements. Click the link above for full details.

As suggested in the following article, we've witnessed more ice fog on the roadways than in residential areas, not surprisingly, at temperatures of -30F and colder.

UAF Roadway Air Pollution Evaluation

Test data appears to be inconclusive, although it is implied that burning wood is the major contributing factor to poor air quality in the FNSB. Burning wood can be argued as carbon-neutral because trees absorb CO2 during growth, creating a closed-loop cycle where burning releases only the stored carbon. Proponents argue that managed, sustainable forestry allows regrowing forests to reabsorb this carbon over decades, making it a renewable alternative to fossil fuels. The Woodway is an advocate for responsible burning - burn only dry wood and follow the stove manufacturer recommendations.

See our Burning Tips section down below.

The next big question is,

"Can you have a woodstove in Fairbanks, AK?"

And the answer is,

YES!!

I'm sure you've heard the commercials on the radio, but here are the facts concerning wood stove operation in the FNSB.



The Alaska DEC maintains lists of approved wood and pellet stoves for sale within the PM2.5 non-attainment area. Within this area, ADEC requires installation by a certified installer, local options can be found by putting in your zip code at www.nficertified.org.

Please note that The Woodway is not offering installation this season, but we are happy to sell you the perfect stove for your home.

ADEC Approved Woodstove List

ADEC Approved Pellet Stove List

In the blue (Fairbanks) and purple (North Pole) areas on the map below, there will periodically be air quality alerts. During these time frames burning is not allowed without a waiver. Currently, there are no air quality alerts issued for the Goldstream area.

In other areas of the Fairbanks North Star Borough, such as Two Rivers, Salcha, Moose Creek, Cripple Creek, and heading north out past Fox, there are no regulations concerning wood and pellet stove sales. Whether you are within the PM2.5 Non-Attainment area or outside, The Woodway has an excellent selection of stoves available.

Pictured above is the Lopi Rockport. It is a mid-size cast iron stove, ideal for heating up to 1600 sq. ft. and is on the ADEC approved list for the PM2.5 Non-Attainment area. Featured with this stove are several of the woodstove accessories available at The Woodway, such as bellows, trivets, humidifier kettles, Fatwood firestarters with holders, our new chimney brush cleaning kits from A W Perkins, and Alaskan-made took kits from Alaska Blacksmithing in Delta.

Tips for Burning

The first recommendation we make to woodstove owners is to read the manual for their particular stove. Each manufacturer has expectations for optimum performance regarding the operation of their stoves. The process is not necessarily the same for every brand of stove. Also, there are differences between catalytic and non-catalytic stoves. It is best to be familiar with the stove in your home.

Burn dry wood! When green wood is burned, it reduces the fire box temperature, resulting in poor combustion. The colder fire box temperatures lower the combustion efficiency, resulting in higher pollutants and safety issues due to creosote accumulation. You should not burn green wood because BTU's are expended to boil out the water resulting in less heat, more pollution, and creosote. When you burn dry wood it is better for air quality and it results in less maintenance for your stove and lessens the chance of having a chimney fire due to excessive creosote. Keep in mind that one cord of birch has an average of 175 gallons of water.

The one true way to ensure that you are burning dry wood is to use a moisture meter to check the moisture content of a freshly split piece of firewood. Ideally, the moisture content should be 20% or less.

Stop and see us at the showroom and we'll be happy to demonstrate how to use a moisture meter to test your wood.

Burning your stove at a hotter temperature is a good way to keep your creosote accumulation down. This does not take the place of sweeping your chimney at regular intervals. Sometimes you'll even need to sweep your chimney more than once per year. Several of our customers have experienced their chimney rain caps icing up due to the weather extremes we've had in our area this winter.

It is a good idea to check your venting system regularly and keep it free from any blockage.

Check your door gasket each season by doing the "Dollar Bill Test." Shut a dollar bill into your stove on each side of the door. If you can easily pull the dollar bill out, it is time to replace your door gasket.

The Woodway stocks many products to help operate and maintain your woodstove. Choose from a variety of paints, silicone, glass cleaners, fire starters, thermometers, high temp gloves, and products to manage creosote build up. We're also well stocked on a variety of sizes of door gasket and gasket cement. Keep a Chimfex or a box of FireEx on hand in case of a chimney fire. They are designed to smother the fire in a matter of seconds.

We get great results with the Speedy White and Rutland Conditioning glass cleaners. See pictures below:

Our latest arrival from Hearthstone is the Green Mountain 20!

This stove (pictured below) is designed for small spaces, ideally 550 sq. ft. or less. Enjoy catalytic technology and soapstone bricks, which retain that ambient warmth of the fire, even if the fire isn't active.

The Woodway features the majority of the stoves on the ADEC Approved Woodstove list in our showroom. Stop by Mon - Fri 9-6 and ask one of our friendly Hearth associates for a tour.

Thank you for shopping locally!