Tips on Making a Wood Smoke Complaint

​Make complaints as soon as possible after observing wood smoke. The sooner we receive a complaint, the sooner we can begin to address the issue.

Provide the fo​llowing information to the operator or our complaint web form to help us track down or confirm the source:

Describe the incident

• ​​What colour is the smoke (black, grey, white)? What is the odour (campfire, plastic, garbage, chemicals)? 
• When do you usually observe the smoke (day time, evening, weekends, holidays)? How long does the smell last (seconds, minutes, hours)? How long has this been going on (first time, weeks, months, years)?
• Where is the smoke coming from? Can you see the source? If yes, to what extent? Can you take pictures to show where the smoke is coming from? Can you smell it inside your home? If yes, to what extent?
• How strong is the smell (very weak to very strong)? How thick is the smoke (just visible, somewhat transparent, opaque)?
  

​How is t​​​he wood smoke affecting you and your family?

An of​ficer may call you about your complaint to ask more questions or for clarification. For persistent wood smoke problems, we will need your help to collect information that will enable an officer to observe the wood smoke. For example, we may ask you to keep a wood smoke diary or to submit complaints when wood smoke is visible.

​What is/was the​​ weather like during the wood smoke episode?

• What direction was the wind from?
• Was the wind light, moderate or strong?
• Was it sunny, overcast or raining?
• What was the temperature outside?