Burn bans in summer weather and guests

[Laura2592]

We have both a fire pit and fireplace at our cottage. Its been in the 90s and very humid in the area for a few weeks, so the county has (as they often do in the summer) put a burn ban in place. This means no outdoor fires and there are guidelines around using things like grills. I have had a few guests recently who are from a neighboring state with the same weather conditions ask about making fires and explained that this is not possible at the moment. Guests are invariably disappointed, and I find myself wondering who wants to sit in front of a fire when its muggy and 95 out? We supply various insect repellents and have the place treated for mosquitoes monthly so I don't know if they worry that there will be bugs and maybe that is the driver? Not sure the motivation.

At any rate, we have now added info to our check-in about the burn bans and had a few guests ignore this in favor of making an indoor fire (with the AC cranked up to freezing.) We don't supply anything to burn during this time- in the winter we leave some firelogs. One of our neighbors is a firefighter and he has actually volunteered to visit guests and warn them when he sees them violating the burn ban, but I think that could backfire (pun intended). We are not a state that suffers from drought but it is still very annoying and irresponsible when guests disregard this, as well as being head scratchingly unusual. Anyone else have this issue? How do you handle it? We are thinking about physically blocking the fireplace and fire pit during the summer. 

[Anonymous]

@Laura2592  Wasting all this energy and putting all that crap into the hot humid air in the middle of the summer, just to have a (prohibited) fire? What did these guests show up in, a Hummer? I hope your review didn't obscure what truly awful people they are.

Yes, I would block the fireplace and fire pit. I'd also kick out anyone the minute they were caught disregarding not just house rules but also environmental laws, as their money could hardly be worth the potential consequences. But even so, I'd want it to be 100% clear on the listing that these amenities had seasonal limitations,  lest any guest arrive with the assumption that they paid for a campfire and they're therefore entitled to a campfire no matter how hot it is.

[Laura2592]

@Anonymous I like that phrasing "these amenities have seasonal limitations." Mind if I steal that?

We have some neighboring states that have very different laws-- Maryland is a small state and borders three others as well as Washington DC. Some guests really do not believe in global warming, others are very careful to recycle and use as little water as possible. Its very interesting to see what news channel comes up after stays when we do our check. We do host a very diverse group of people from our region. 

Nonetheless, it is irritating when guests don't follow the house rules. We don't put them in place just to ruin people's fun. 

[Colleen253]

@Laura2592 Defying a burn ban is pretty serious as far as breaking rules. Add a line to your house rules that defying it is cause for immediate termination of stay. Hopefully this will drive home the importance of the rule and be enough of a deterrent.

[Anonymous]

Diversity is great!  But having different beliefs or values from one's host or community - even to the extent of being in utter denial of science -  is no excuse for disrespecting their rules or making wasteful use of their costly resources.  And frankly I'd rather have respectful, conscientious guests who don't share my political views than irresponsible guests who do.

I'm not big on having long lists of rules about minor things. So if I do have to lay down a rule, that means it's not just an irritation but a dealbreaker if you don't follow it. I don't know about you, but I'd want to have some trust in a person's sense of responsibility before putting them in any position to ignite a fire on my property.

[Lisa723]

@Laura2592 we have a note about potential burn bans and a link to the county website in our house manual, and if there is a ban we let incoming guests know. We haven't had any violations to date. However, in our region burn bans do not apply to indoor fires. If the same is true where you are this seems like a different issue. As I recall you have posted about your fireplace before. Seems like it is generally trouble for you.

[Laura2592]

@Lisa723  in  our county it is in and outdoor. Yes, the fireplace is a source of annoyance as 85% of our guests have no idea how to use it properly. We have created videos, pictures, step by step guides, in person demonstrations, even replaced the flue closure with an easier and more modern one, but people still can't figure it out. We are somewhat relieved when the burn bans are put in place as we don't have to deal with that. 

[Lisa723]

@Laura2592 I see, so your burn bans are about air quality rather than wildfire danger? That might explain the difference in response. When we have one it's because you risk sending the entire region up in flames-- and they are strictly enforced. I think in your shoes I might just remove the fireplace as an amenity (unless you can convert it to gas, which I think you've previously said you don't want to do).

[Laura2592]

@Lisa723  yes, that is the case in our area. Air quality not wildfires. 

Sadly there will always be guests who will use the fireplace whether or not we have it available. Without sealing it up there is no way to totally remove it. We don't have gas to the house and its cost-prohibitive to convert it but we may end up doing a wood stove. In my next Airbnb rental there will be no fireplace for sure!

[Lisa723]

@Laura2592 I once stayed in a place with an unavailable fireplace. It was set up with a decorative insert that would have been pretty difficult to remove/replace.

[Laura2592]

@Lisa723  There is really no way to do that in our space without ruining the look of the place and abandoning the chimney. At some point (maybe sooner than later) this will be a space we enjoy for ourselves alone. No need to ruin it because our guests insist on lighting fires during 95 degree days.  An easier solution is that they follow the rules 🙂

[Sarah977]

@Laura2592  I think what you are dealing with here is guests who find the idea of a fire "romantic". Thus the fireplace using with the AC turned up to high. Is there really no way you could block it off? Fill the hearth with potted plants? 

Yes, an outside fire when it's hot and humid out is a real head-scratcher. I've ceased trying to figure out why people do the things they do- even when people explain why they did this or that, it's still often completely illogical.

Maybe you need a Smokey the Bear poster, with your own wording about fires being banned at this time of year.

[Sandra126]

I put a note in the fireplace during ban season. But someone used the note to light a fire...