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All-Wood Alternative to Firewood Can Reduce Soot, Smoke by Half

Increased Use Could Ease Burn Restrictions

WATSONVILLE, CA --- Northern California communities are familiar with "Spare the Air" days, experiencing both recommended and mandatory no-burn days to help reduce the particulate emissions from burning firewood. There is an alternative wood fuel available - "densified wood" firelogs - that have been shown to reduce soot and smoke emissions by about 50%, suggesting that more widespread use could help residents experience fewer burn restriction days.

Densified biomass fuels, including wood pellets and wood firelogs, are a preferred fuel for home heating and wood stoves. They burn cleaner and are more energy-efficient than regular firewood due to higher density and lower moisture content. The esthetic appearance of densified wood fires and pleasant natural wood smell is also preferred by many users. Wax-based firelogs are another cleaner-burning alternative, available in supermarkets and convenience stores, but are not appropriate for heating or use in woodstoves.

"More wood burners using densified biomass fuels would go a long way towards reducing the need for mandatory burn restrictions," according to Jennifer Young of Summit Views, LLC. "The use of all-wood firelogs, with half the emissions of firewood, can help reduce particulates by tens of tons with little or no sacrifice in esthetic," said Ms. Young.

The California Air Resources Board Woodburning Handbook recommends use of densified wood. As described in the Handbook, a large portion of the energy of burning regular firewood goes into boiling the 20-50% water content and volatile organic compounds. With densified wood logs, 95% of the water content and much of the volatile material has been cooked out of the wood in environmentally controlled equipment. The resulting fire burns hotter, and little energy goes into burning off waste compounds, resulting in less soot, ash, and creosote. Studies show that carbon monoxide and acid rain emissions are also reduced.

Densified logs can be found in some home centers and hardware stores, and are also available directly from Summit Views LLC, California's only local manufacturer. Goodwood® Firelogs from Summit Views are found in resort, recreation and select retail locations throughout California, and feature an easy-to-light burlap bag, allowing the densified logs to be started without any other starter or fire-building. Goodwood All-Wood Firelogs and easy-lighting Goodwood Firelog Bags are sold in pallet quantities directly to resorts, recreation facilities, retail stores and residences. Cases are also available online through the company's online store at www.goodwoodproducts.com.

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Contact: Jennifer Young
Summit Views LLC, makers of Goodwood Products
880 W Beach St #101
Watsonville, CA 95076
Phone/Fax: 877-872-8341
Email: jyoung@goodwoodproducts.com

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