THE man in charge of testing air quality in the Forest area says no monitoring system was in place at Blakeney when pyres were lit mere yards from dwelling houses.
Forest of Dean District Council environmental services manager Paul Symonds said he was concerned by emerging reports that pyres emitted dangerous carcinogens.
"However we heard Environment Minister Michael Meacher saying nationally this amounted to no more than two bonfire nights," said Mr Symonds.
He said he was now in discussion with the Environment Agency about obtaining mobile testing equipment for future use but it was "not an exact science" and residues depended on prevailing winds and other factors.
However district councillor for the Blakeney area David Preece said he was "very unhappy" with the situation at Blakeney which had been the subject of concern at a parish council meeting this week.
"I am trying to find out from the Forest of Dean Council if there has been any assessment of the risks at Blakeney," he said.
"I live in Blakeney myself and we were in the smoke zone – it was pretty awful. There is a school only 100 yards away and there were children running around in the smoke.
"I complained at the time. Then to add insult to injury just as the pyres were dying down somebody started a fire of all the overalls and rubbish in the farm yard at Nibley, with filthy black smoke. I felt that was very insensitive under the circumstances."
Mr Symonds said: "Our policy now is to act as quickly as we can to people's concerns and to try to stop burning in areas where it might cause a nuisance as well as a health problem.
"For example we stopped MAFF lighting a pyre they had built at Yorkley because it was close to residential areas and residential homes where elderly people could suffer from chest problems.
"In general it is our hope with remaining sheep that they are rendered rather than burned."
He said in the case of Blakeney an actual outbreak had taken place at the pyre site and the animals could not be moved – there was no option but to burn them there and then.
He said MAFF "often had conflicting demands to balance" and with the need to speed up times between culling and disposal action often had to be taken very quickly.
He said there had been no identifiable rise in health problems associated with the Blakeney pyre but many asthma and chest sufferers had asked for advice.
And he said he had heard nothing of reports to the Review that residues of congealed fat had coated windows near the Blakeney fire.
"If this is so then I suggest they get in touch with MAFF to make arrangements for it to be cleaned up, or if they like they can come to us and we will pursue it on their behalf," he said.
There have been widespread public protests about burning in Devon and other outbreak areas, in most areas concerning pyres much further from homes than the Blakeney pyre.
Mr Symonds can be contacted on 01594 812440.
Blakeney surgery was asked if it would comment on the situation but said it made no press statements as a matter of policy.