I’m not suggesting we should have wood fires now, but if you do it properly a wood fire shouldn’t cause health problems within the house. The chimney will need sweeping. We had a chimney fire once, so I guess they forgot to get the chimney cleaned in time that year.
I believe that even wood burners with closed doors still leave a very pronounced effect on the air quality in a home... I suppose inside a home is that persons choice. As with any Fossil Fuel burning, the pollution caused outside the home and creating problems for wider society means regulation