FAIRBANKS -- The Fairbanks borough is considering installing wood-drying kilns as part of a plan to curb air pollution in Alaska's second-largest city.

The Fairbanks Daily News-Miner says six kilns would be installed in an effort to reduce the amount of small-particulate matter produced by wood stoves and wood-fired boilers.

Borough air quality manager Jim Conner says dry wood produces less pollution and burns hotter than wet wood. He says the problem is that it takes wood six months to two years to dry. That has led to a shortage of dry wood during the winter.

The borough and state are working on ways to get the borough in attainment with the Environmental Protection Agency's air standards by 2014.