MOUNT VERNON — This weekend, as property owners dig into the task of cleaning up fallen trees and debris from the storm, local fire departments want citizens to know the laws about open burning exist to protect people and property.
“Open burning releases many kinds of toxic fumes and sends toxins in the air that negatively affect other citizens,” said Chris Menapace, Mount Vernon Fire Department assistant chief.
Since the storm, several residents have illegally burned brush piles in their yards. Menapace said the fire department extinguishes those fires as they are discovered or reported, because of the many hazards.
“Smoke in a city obscures roadways; that can lead to traffic accidents and injuries,” he said. “Heat and fire can potentially spread to a building and cause a structure fire. The potential for property damage is vast.”
Brush and trash burning is illegal within Mount Vernon city limits and a mile beyond the borders. It is also illegal in Fredericktown, Danville, Gambier, Howard and Centerburg.
According to the Fredericktown Community Fire District, the Eastern Knox County Joint Fire District, the College Township Fire Department, the Central Ohio Joint Fire District, MVFD and the Bladensburg Fire Department, rural residents may not burn within a thousand feet of any inhabited structure.
EKCJFD Capt. Chris Willis pointed out there are not many places, even in the country, that meet this criteria. He said the EKCJF, if summoned to an open burn, will determine what is being burned, and whether the burn is being handled safely.
Willis said it is a good idea for anyone planning a burn to call the fire department ahead of time. If conditions are particularly windy that day or dry, they can provide advice to the homeowners. In addition, if the department receives a report about a field fire, it will know it is a planned burn.
The Ohio EPA has set strict guidelines for what may and may not be burned by property owners. Fire departments carry copies of these guidelines on their trucks, and share them with homeowners when they respond to open burns.
Capt. Andrew Weber of the College Township Fire Department said when College responds, firefighters check how far the burn is from a structure, and what is being burned.
Brush, grass clippings, tree limbs, paper and crop residues are allowable in a burn. Garbage, grease, chemicals, plastic and rubber are not.
Willis said it is the policy of his department that if a neighbor has complained about the burn, it will be put out.
Menapace said common courtesy should be considered when burning.
“We have a densely populated community, and it’s about being kind to your neighbor,” he said.
