Did you know burning gift wrap is illegal - and dangerous?

Think twice before tossing that Christmas wrapping paper onto the Yule log.

Not only is it unhealthy to burn the toxin-laden material, it’s illegal. Get caught, you’ll get a $100 fine.

This year, regional air and water-quality agencies are reminding residents of the dangers - and the penalties - in an effort to reduce pollution over the holiday season.

“Many of us remember as a kid throwing wrapping paper into the fireplace,” said Kristine Roselius, spokeswoman for the Bay Area Air Quality Management District. “We didn’t know how harmful it could be. Now we’re reminding people, not only is it harmful, it’s illegal.”

Officials have been encouraging gift-givers to avoid using the colorful wrapping paper altogether. Often, it is not recyclable and releases noxious smoke when burned.

Dioxins and heavy metals waft into your home and pose a risk to neighbors. Particles that aren’t breathed in fall on the ground and get washed into storm drains.

“It’s important to be considerate and understand your neighbors may have respiratory problems,” Roselius said.

Also, wrapping paper creates tons of waste every year. The California Department of Resources Recycling and Recovery estimates an extra million tons of waste is generated per week between Thanksgiving and New Year’s Day, including 38,000 miles worth of holiday ribbon.

The best bet if you haven’t already eliminated wrapping paper from your routine is to discard it in your trash or recycling bin or reuse it.

Next year, consider alternatives such as reusable gift bags or boxes, old maps, scarves or even the Sunday comics, which can be recycled.

Those who insist on burning it risk getting reported by neighbors. Penalties include attendance at classes on the dangers of burning trash. The fine for a second offense is $500.

Wood-burning also is harmful but is expected to be allowed on Christmas Day, Roselius said. However, an upcoming windless condition that may tend to trap woodsmoke in certain areas could lead to a ban next week, she said.

Her agency, which enforces air pollution laws in the nine Bay Area counties, last season issued 65 citations in southern Sonoma County alone for wood-burning violations. It was the second-highest number next to San Mateo County. The agency does not regulate the northern half of the county.

“Woodsmoke is bad for everyone, even those of us who are healthy,” Roselius said.

You can reach Staff Writer Paul Payne at 568-5312 or paul.payne@pressdemocrat.com. On Twitter ?@ppayne.