Neighbor distraught as reckless behavior endangers their property: 'We just want to be left alone'

A Redditor was having trouble with a cranky neighbor and looked to r/BadNeighbors for advice. 

"Our neighbor starts burning debris every spring. She doesn't like us and today she burned very close to the property line," wrote the original poster. "My lungs hurt from breathing the smoke. Thinking I'll call 911 next time. Any advice re: Mass outdoor burn laws? I would try talking to her but she has screamed at us before for other things and has done other things to harass us. So tired of this. We haven't done anything to be a bad neighbor and we just want to be left alone."

Most cities have laws against open burning for a few reasons. Safety is a high priority, as these fires can pose a danger if they get out of hand. The health repercussions are a factor, evidenced by the original poster's lungs hurting from the smoke. These kinds of problems get even worse when neighbors start burning plastic and industrial waste. 

Then there is the wider atmospheric pollution caused by such burns. Even though yard waste is natural, burning it releases carbon into the atmosphere, which in turn traps heat and significantly alters our weather patterns. Barring the risk of spreading invasive species or harmful fungus, organic matter is best sent to local composting facilities. 

At the very least, the source of the fire is easily identified, which isn't always the case. The Reddit community rallied around the original poster and offered a range of advice. 

"Half the country is under a fire warning so she could be violating that," said the top-voted reply. 

"I almost caught my house on fire just burning one of those 'crackle' candles and I was sitting right next to it. Call the fire dept to check it out, that can go so wrong so fast," said another user.

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