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There’s nothing wrong with having a backup plan. Tell that to someone trying to pull their hat off a foot of snow by forcing their back. Well, if you have a backup plan, you won’t be talking to a stranger about insurance while we’re angry and don’t like the cold.
However, the problem that Montanans from all four corners of the state face during the winter is power outages. For residents of the city and/or county of Missoula who are lucky enough to have a home equipped with a real fireplace, it may not seem like a big deal; load that bad boy up with round balls and a flame and you’ll stay warm until the power comes back on. Not all new problems need new solutions, right?
However, Missoula County manages air pollution coming from the wood-burning ovens, saying,
“The biggest source of winter air pollution comes from residential wood stoves and fireplaces.”
Since 2010, only wood burning stoves have been allowed to be installed in most areas of the county. (source) All installations must be EPA certified. All of which stemmed from efforts to clean up Missoula’s polluted air, which in the 1980s was unable to cope with the cold winter cycles, when people burned trees.
However, with climate change, winters are still cold, especially when there is no electricity. This begs the question: for Missoula residents in the Emergency Zone, will they be able to use their fireplaces and stoves to stay warm if the power goes out?
The Answer
Technically, the Missoula City-County Air Pollution Control Program has set regulations governing “solid fuel burning appliances” ((includes fireworks) in Chapter 9 of the county health code. Rule 9.201 key:
(1) After July 1, 1986, no person may install or use a new solid fuel burning device in any structure within the Air Permit Zone without a permit. Resolution.
(2) After May 14, 2010 no person may install or use a new solid fuel burning device in any structure in Missoula County without an installation permit.
However, if the power goes out and a fireplace becomes a life-saving heat source, Accountant Josh Slotnick has what appears to be the most practical and humane response:
I’m pretty confident that when the power runs out no one will issue a violation order or anything. There are people who work for the city and the county…we are all in the same place, I believe. our commitment to each other more than the rules when something terrible happens like a power outage.
If the power goes out the Health Department people will have more fish to fry than trying to catch someone who uses a wood stove to survive. That’s easy.
I’m not asking you to break the law, but I will say that if my power goes out, I’ll have my wood burning on the table to keep warm, and I won’t think twice. . Stay warm, friend.
Six winter things every Montanan should know
If you live in Montana, you should be prepared to survive the winter. Here are six things every Montanan should know.
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