Wood fire smoke is making Canberrans a "prisoner in their own home".
The arrival of winter is seriously affecting Canberrans with breathing difficulties as residents light up their wood burners.
It's an issue close to home for Matthew Bolton; his father David lived with a serious lung condition.
The constant burning of firewood in winter made it hard for him to breathe, Matthew said.
"It affected him quite a lot, you can hear him coughing really badly," Mr Bolton said.
"He pretty much just became a prisoner in his own home in the end. He had to bottle up the house because some of the smoke could come through."
Their former neighbour used to burn "anything he could get his hands on", Matthew said. The smoke was worse at night, with his father struggling to sleep due to the smoke.
Wood fire smoke a 'predominant' cause of pollution
Up to 63 people die prematurely from wood burners in the ACT every year, a 2023 report from the ANU says.
The researchers found domestic wood heaters were the "predominant" cause of air pollution in the ACT. Canberra's unique topography also worsened air pollution, with stagnant smoke settling in the valleys.
Public pressure on the issue led to the ACT government last year announcing a plan to phase out all wood burners by 2045.
Mr Bolton said it comes down to individual neighbors to think about their impacts on the community.
He said his father made more than 30 calls to Access Canberra complaining about the smoke, and also contacted Environment Protection Authority, who came out to inspect their neighbour's property.
Mr Bolton believed the neighbour hid the wood he was actually burning, because it contained contaminants such as paint.
The father and son were planning to move to a new suburb when David Bolton died in February 2023.
Mr Bolton believes his father would have been around longer if he hadn't had to cope with the smoke and the stress that came with it.
"It affected him mentally as well because he's worried that he might have to go to hospital," Mr Bolton said.
"He did go to the hospital at one stage because there was just too much smoke and he had to stay there for a week."
'You have to breathe to live'
It's a familiar story to Caitlin Ross, who suffers from severe asthma.
This winter has been particularly hard on her health, she said. She's currently working from home, only leaving the house for essentials like doctors' appointments.
"You have to breathe to live, so when you can't breathe, everything else gets put on the backburner," she said.
"You can't focus on normal living things that you have to do because you have to focus all of your energy on breathing and getting well."
Many Canberrans would have experienced breathing difficulties during bad bushfire seasons, she said.
"The smoke unfortunately is in the air, so it's not something that can be avoided. It's impossible to fully seal your house," she said.
Mr Bolton didn't want Canberrans to give up their wood fires tomorrow, but for people think about those around them.
For him, it's about making sure other Canberrans don't suffer the same fate as his father.
"I would like to reduce the wood fires, and find a better solution in the end. That would be great," he said.
