This weekend, I'll probably crank up the fireplace insert and start burning. Last year, using it for heat kept my oil usage to 440 gallons, a little more than half of what it was without the insert.

But not all fires, not all fireplaces, and not all woods are created equal. To help people sort things out, the Environmental Protection Agency has started a "burn wise" campaign to help reduce pollution from wood smoke -- which, as the agency notes, is "a mixture of gases and fine particle pollution that isn’t healthy to breathe indoors or out – especially for children, older adults and those with heart disease, asthma or other lung diseases."

It's like those days when people are burning leaves, and you think it smells so good. Actually, you're breathing harmful particles. And by the way, if you ant to purchase a more efficient wood-burning stove, you may qualify for a federal tax credit.

According to info from the EPA:

If you’re burning wood, you can have a cheaper, safer and healthier fire by following these tips:

· Burn only dry, seasoned wood. It’s better for the air and your wallet. Look for wood that is darker, has cracks in the end grain, and sounds hollow when hit against another piece of wood. Dry seasoned wood is more efficient at heating your home and can add up to significant savings over the winter. Never burn painted or treated wood or trash.

· Maintain your wood stove or fireplace and have a certified technician inspect it yearly. A certified technician can clean dangerous soot from your chimney and keep your wood stove or fireplace working properly, which reduces your risk of a home fire.

· Change to an EPA-certified wood stove or fireplace insert. These models are more efficient than older models, keeping your air cleaner, your home safer and your fuel bill lower, while keeping you warm in the winter. An estimated 12 million Americans heat their homes with wood stoves each winter, and nearly three-quarters of these stoves are not EPA certified. An EPA-certified wood stove can emit nearly 70 percent less smoke than older uncertified models.

More information on Burn Wise: http://www.epa.gov/burnwise  The site has all sorts of useful information and makes for interesting rummaging for a while.  It even has an on-line calculator that provides a cost comparison between different fuel types including hardwoods, softwoods, gas, oil, and electric.  And it solved the mystery of why, when I was camping in Nova Scotia earlier this fall, I saw signs warning against burning driftwood in the fire circles at each campsite. It releases toxic chemicals. Ack.