Stubborn big-government naysayers, listen up: when Spare the Air says do not burn Duraflame logs, the mean do not burn Duraflame logs. Take, for example, Mike, a reader from San Carlos, who sent us the following letter about getting busted from the Bay Area Air Quality Management District after lighting a Duraflame on Christmas.

Mike writes:

Hi,

Found your name/email on a story about Duraflame suing Spare the Air. Figured this might be a good place to start.

2 years ago, on Christmas day, I dared to have a fire in my fireplace, probably a Duraflame, while the kids opened Christmas presents. A regular Rockwell moment.

A month later, I got a notice from spare the air that we were in violation. Wow - what a shocker, seriously. I had never heard of this organization, and who drives around on Christmas day issuing violations? Oh wait, I think I know...

Now, 15 months later, these folks decide to offer me a settlement of a my civil disobedience, for only $400 I can make this go away. You've got to be freaking kidding me! 15 months later, they decide to blackmail me? Oh, the letter says it could be up to a million dollar fine.

Thanks

Mike

Below: pertinent documents sent to Mike from Bay Area Air Quality Management District.