Can anyone tell me if it legal to burn a 3 peice suit of furniture?

around mid day, i was at work today and left all my washing to dry nicely out in the garden, when i got home tonight , the man next door had burnt an old 3 piece suit of furniture next door to me , i was told plumes of black smoke went high into the air ,and my washing was full of black particles, was that legal to burn that at that hour of the day , , thank you for reading this