Report a bonfire, smoke or air pollution
Find out what you can and can't report to us and how to submit a report.
What you can report to us
You can report a one-off incident or continuous problems with any of the following:
- Large bonfires or people regularly having bonfires every week.
- Smoke from a chimney in a smoke control area.
- Burning household waste, plastics, rubber or painted materials.
- Dust and grit from construction sites.
- Smells from bonfires or commercial premises.
- Ash falling onto your house, garden or the road.
- Smoke from a bonfire blocking the view of the road. If the smoke from a bonfire poses a hazard to road users you should report the incident to Greater Manchester Police by calling 101.
- Dark smoke coming from bonfires or buildings.
- A strong smell in the air.
What you can't report to us
We do not consider the following as antisocial bonfires, smoke or air pollution:
- A small, one-off bonfire where the smoke fumes aren't affecting a public road or people living or working nearby
- Burning garden waste in small amounts without much smoke
- Organised bonfires on bonfire night
- Smoke from barbecues or cigarettes
- Smells from people cooking
- Smoke coming from a vehicle needs to be reported to the DVLA on 0870 6040440 or Report a smoky vehicle on GOV.UK
- Anything relating to drugs needs to be reported to the police. Report a crime to Greater Manchester Police
Report a bonfire, smoke or air pollution
To report problems with a bonfire, smoke or air pollution:
- In an emergency, ring 999 - if a bonfire is out of control or built-in a dangerous location, contact the Fire Service immediately.
- If smoke from a bonfire is affecting you, please discuss the problem with the person responsible first.
- If you need to report a non-emergency problem to us then use the form below. We won't share your details with anyone you report.
- After you've reported a problem, we'll investigate your report to find out whether the law is being broken. We may visit you and the source of the problem. In some cases, we may also take formal action against those responsible for air pollution.