Make Your Fireplace Usable on Denver No-Burn Days

From November through March, Colorado's health department (CDPHE) can declare an Action Day when winter air pollution builds up under an inversion. On those days, indoor burning is limited to approved devices in Denver, Boulder, Broomfield, Douglas and Jefferson counties, and in Adams and Arapahoe counties west of Kiowa Creek, for homes below 7,000 feet. The forecast comes out daily at 4 p.m. from October 31 to March 31. The 2026/27 season begins November 1.

The rule is blunt: uncertified stoves, heaters and conventional fireplaces may not be operated on Action Days in that area, whatever the fuel. In Denver, burning a solid-fuel fireplace on a high-pollution day falls under city code 4-24(c)(1), with a fine of $250 minimum and up to $2,000 per violation per day. The good news is that the fix is a known list of upgrades.

Signs you need this

• You have an open wood-burning masonry fireplace
• You live in the seven-county metro below 7,000 feet
• Your fireplace sits unused on the cold, still days you want it most
• You have an old, uncertified stove or insert
• You are buying a home and want to know if its fireplace is usable

How we do it

1. Free visit and optionsWe look at your fireplace, chimney and gas service and write up each option that fits it, with a price for each.
2. Pick your upgradeGas logs, an EPA-certified wood insert with liner, an approved pellet insert, a sealed gas insert or an electric unit, based on how you use the fire.
3. Install under permitMost metro cities require a permit for an insert, stove or new gas line, and we pull it. Gas units are set up for altitude.
4. Test and walk throughWe test the unit, check the CO alarm requirement and show you how to run it, so it is ready before the next Action Day.

What makes an open fireplace usable on an Action Day?

The CDPHE's indoor-burning FAQ says an open masonry fireplace may be used on an Action Day only if it is equipped with one of four things. Any one of them works:

• Gas logs (typically $500 to $2,000 installed)
• An EPA Phase III certified insert (wood insert with liner typically $3,000 to $7,000)
• An approved pellet insert (priced at the visit)
• An electric device (priced at the visit)

How do I know if today is an Action Day?

Check after 4 p.m. the day before. The CDPHE posts the forecast at its air quality advisory page, you can sign up for daily email alerts, and the recorded advisory hotline is 303-758-4848. Questions or complaints about indoor burning go to 303-692-3280. If your fireplace runs on gas or is a certified insert, you do not have to check at all.

Which upgrade should I choose?

If you mostly want the look of a fire for an evening, gas logs are the lowest cost. If you want real heat and like the convenience of a switch, a sealed gas insert, typically $2,000 to $8,000, heats the room and works every day of the year. If you want to keep burning wood, an EPA-certified wood insert with a stainless liner keeps the real fire and is exempt on Action Days. Since federal 25C credits ended after 2025 and we know of no active local rebate, we price these without counting on one.