PLEASANT PRAIRIE — New outdoor wood-fired furnaces and boilers will be prohibited under an ordinance amendment passed Monday night by the Village Board.

The amendment drafted by Fire Chief Paul Guilbert acknowledged the growing popularity of such self-contained outdoor units due to marketing pushing them as economical — and greener — alternatives to traditional fuels like natural gas, liquid propane and electric indoor heating.

Guilbert questioned such claims and listed safety and health concerns due to the inefficient burning of wood and the resulting smoke invading neighboring properties.

He said the furnaces and boilers were designed to be used in large, open spaces, not in densely populated areas.

In addition, Guilbert said the furnaces burn slower and cooler, contributing to the inefficiency and continuous generation of smoke, as well as creosote buildup, which can be a potential fire hazard.

While manufacturers recommend burning only clean, dry wood, there is nothing to prevent users from burning chemically treated lumber, painted wood and other products, effectively using the device as a rubbish incinerator.

Based on comparisons with other communities that regulate the devices, Guilbert said the best options were to ban new outdoor wood-fired devices altogether and to impose a $25 annual fee on existing units within the village.

Wood-fired outdoor ovens used for cooking are exempt from the prohibition, as well as from paying the annual fee. However, such ovens may be subject to certain restrictions similar to those covering existing wood-fired outdoor furnaces/boilers under the amended ordinance.

Pleasant Prairie is the first municipality in the county to pass such an ordinance, but the issue first was first brought up before the Wheatland Town Board in February by a resident who complained a daughter’s asthma was aggravated by smoke from a neighbor’s device.

At the time, Wheatland building inspector Tim Popanda called the outdoor furnace “an acceptable method of heat in the town” and said the property owner who installed the device burned only clean, dry wood, met setback requirements and met standards for its use.