Serious health issues and wood smoke in New Zealand

I live in a beautiful little village in the North Island of New Zealand. It is rural but very attractive to tourists, and I love living here apart from the wood burning (mostly green), that goes on everywhere in the neighbourhood!

During the summertime I will be wary of putting washing on the line outside because some idiot will light a backyard fire and burn scrub and vegetation, usually without a permit! Then as soon as the fire ban is lifted in early Autumn, away go all the huge burn offs! The air will be filled with toxic smoke all day, then during the night, my home will be filled with sharp acrid fumes, and I can't have any windows open. It’s very hard to breathe in the air when this happens.

I simply can't understand why people, with all their knowledge of pollutants etc, insist on burning what they could compost! And how can they be allowed to pollute my fresh air!

I can’t take much more of this! My husband died from a brain tumor and I have had breast cancer. I try to keep my home free from chemicals, especially around my garden. I won’t use any garden sprays. But what’s the point when other people are allowed to poison my air anyway?