fireplaces

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Man Opens Fireplace, Finds Century-Old Letters to Santa

Missives in NYC apartment belonged to turn-of-the-century Irish immigrant family

(Newser) - When Peter Mattaliano decided to redo the fireplace in his NYC apartment, he called his construction-savvy brother to help him bust open the sealed unit. "We were joking that we might find Al Capone's money," Mattaliano tells the New York Times . "Then my brother yelled to...

Your Fireplace Could Give You Cancer
 Your Fireplace Could 
 Give You Cancer 
study says

Your Fireplace Could Give You Cancer

Particles in smoke are as bad as car exhaust, say scientists

(Newser) - Ahh, fireplaces: cozy, romantic, and … as bad for you as car exhaust fumes? Apparently so: New research reveals that breathing in the smoke from open fires or wood-burning stoves can lead to cancer, and heart and lung disease. The airborne particles in the smoke are particularly harmful because they’...

SoCal Bans Wood Burning on Bad Air Days

But fireplace lovers need not fret: only 24 days per year

(Newser) - Officials in charge of air quality in Los Angeles and surrounding counties have banned the use of wood-burning fireplaces during certain high-pollution days. The fines would only be levied on about two dozen winter days, and wouldn't affect gas fireplaces, wood-burning ovens in restaurants, or homes above 3,000 feet,...

So Cal May Ban Wood-Burning Fireplaces

Proposed regs will eliminate new fireplaces; limit current ones in winter

(Newser) - Southern Californians will be roasting their chestnuts in the oven if an air pollution plan is passed that would ban fireplaces in all new homes and prohibit wood-fueled blazes for as many as 20 days every winter. The regulations, proposed by South Coast Air Quality Management, seeks to clean up...

Fireplaces Heat Up Backyards
Fireplaces Heat Up Backyards

Fireplaces Heat Up Backyards

The wood may be for show, but the status boost is for real

(Newser) - The outdoor fireplace is the latest must-have for obsessive upgraders—at least those with backyards. With built-in stereo systems, refrigerators, and price tags that run to $80,000, these oversized hearths often come with a just-for-show wood pile, though they run on gas.

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