Why burning leaves and trash is dangerous for animals

Every autumn, piles of leaves are set alight in yards and fields. In the rush to finish clearing up, branches, packaging and sometimes plastic or rubber go onto the fire. Smoke drifts towards neighbouring windows and across paths and play areas. A cat at the window, a dog on a walk and a child outside all breathe that air. Please do not treat a backyard fire as a harmless habit. Everyone nearby needs clean air.

What is in the smoke

Even dry leaves release fine particles, carbon monoxide and volatile organic compounds when they burn. Fine particles travel deep into the lungs, and smoke irritates the eyes and airways. Coughing, watery eyes and breathing difficulties are too high a price for saving time on clearing the yard.

A plastic bag, an old tyre or a painted board adds more hazardous substances to the smoke. Burning mixed waste can produce dioxins and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, and toxic metals may remain in the ash. Arrange for this waste to be collected. A fire outside someone’s window is no way to dispose of it.

Children breathe this air too

Children’s lungs are still developing, which makes them particularly vulnerable to smoke. It can cause coughing, stinging eyes and breathing difficulties; children with asthma are especially at risk. While the yard is smoky, move play indoors to somewhere with cleaner air. Close the windows, provided the home does not become too hot. Pets need the same care: do not leave them outside waiting for the fire to burn out.

Who needs extra protection from smoke

• Older, very young, and pregnant animals.
• Pets with heart or lung disease.
• Short-nosed dogs, including pugs and bulldogs, which can have more trouble breathing in smoke and heat.
• Pet birds, which are particularly sensitive to polluted air.

Signs of smoke exposure

• Excessive coughing or gagging.
• Red or watery eyes, nasal discharge, irritation of the mouth or throat, or reluctance to eat hard food.
• Labored, noisy, or rapid breathing, especially at rest; open-mouth breathing.
• Excessive panting.
• Fatigue, weakness, disorientation, an uneven gait, or stumbling.
• Reduced appetite or thirst.

How to reduce smoke exposure

1. Bring animals indoors and close doors and windows, provided the indoor space does not become too hot.
2. Keep fresh water available at all times.
3. Limit outdoor time to brief bathroom breaks. Postpone running, active play, and long walks until the air improves.
4. If the equipment is suitable for your home, use a portable air cleaner or a high-efficiency filter in the heating, ventilation, and air-conditioning system.
5. Avoid adding particles indoors. Do not smoke or vape, burn candles, use a fireplace or woodstove, and avoid frying food or vacuuming when possible.
6. If the home becomes too hot or smoke gets inside, move your pet to a cooler place with cleaner air and be ready to evacuate.

Smell does not reveal the exact concentration of pollutants. Pay attention to visible haze and official air-quality warnings. Conditions can change quickly with the wind even when the fire is far away.

If the fire is getting out of control

Do not stay near a spreading fire to save belongings. Move people and animals to a safe place, report the fire through Armenia's unified emergency number 112, and follow the Rescue Service's instructions.

Clear the yard while keeping the air clean

• Add clean, dry leaves to compost. Mix them with moist green material, turn the pile from time to time, and keep it about as damp as a wrung-out sponge.
• If you cannot compost, keep the leaves separate and ask your municipality whether it collects or accepts garden waste.
• Separate household waste, plastic, painted wood, and rubber and use the designated collection service. Do not burn these materials or add them to home compost.
• Keep diseased or pest-infested plants and herbicide-treated plant material out of an ordinary backyard compost pile.

The fines for burning waste in Armenia

Fallen leaves are expressly covered by Article 85.1 of Armenia’s Administrative Offences Code. Burning leaves, industrial waste or household waste in a yard, settlement, surrounding area or another unsuitable place can lead to a warning or an AMD 50,000 fine for an individual, and a warning or AMD 200,000 for a legal entity. Individuals include people carrying on a business. A warning is one possible penalty; it is not a guaranteed first step before a fine.

• For this offence at waste-management facilities, designated sites or unauthorised dumps: AMD 100,000 for an individual and AMD 400,000 for a legal entity. Repeating this specific offence within one year after an administrative penalty raises the fines to AMD 200,000 and AMD 800,000 respectively (Article 85.1, parts 2–3).
• Burning stubble, plant residues or dry vegetation on agricultural land: AMD 50,000 for an individual and AMD 150,000 for a legal entity (Article 85.2).
• The same burning on forest land or specially protected natural areas: AMD 100,000 for an individual and AMD 300,000 for a legal entity (Article 85.2).

The figures above are already converted to drams. The law expresses them using a calculation base of AMD 1,000 under Article 3 of the Minimum Monthly Wage Law. The actual minimum monthly wage is not used to calculate these fines.

Please clear leaves without burning them and arrange for rubbish to be collected. Neighbours should be able to open a window, children to play outside and pets to enjoy a walk. What we do with a bag of leaves affects their health too.