As wood-fired kitchens grow in popularity, so do complaints over smoke in Bay Area

SAN FRANCISCO – The booming popularity of outdoor kitchens among homeowners in the San Francisco Bay Area has an increasing number of their neighbors coughing and hacking from the smoke, leading air-quality officials to consider tightening rules on wood-burning pizza ovens and smokers.

Residents are calling complaint lines and public officials to urge limits on backyard grilling and barbecuing.

The Bay Area Air Quality Management District enforces air standards for the nine counties and 7.5 million people. This past week, it marked a record-tying 11 consecutive days in which smog-trapping conditions forced it to ban most wood burning.

And dry weather patterns are keeping air-clearing storms from sweeping through.

In February and March, air-quality officials will hold public meetings on tightening the existing exemptions.

Any new restrictions would apply region wide.