IFFD: Keep burns under control
The Idaho Falls Fire Department has responded to about 15 controlled burns this week that got out of control. Some even threatened or harmed structures.
“We’re averaging about four a day for past three to four days,” said Paul Radford, IFFD battalion chief.
IFFD wants people to be more careful with their controlled burns. It says the amount of out of control burns this year has been a little higher than average. The fire department says many people don’t realize how dry the grass is and what the winds can do.
“A lot of these we’ve been on, have got out of control,” Radford said. “They keep saying, ‘Well, it was fine. And then the wind shifted and it got into stuff we didn’t want it to get into.’ So this time of year the winds can come from any direction and they switch frequently so people need to be aware of that and be prepared.”
Controlled burning is not allowed inside city limits. If you are burning in the county, you can only burn natural vegetation.
“They can’t burn debris, any plastic, stuff like that,” Radford said. “It’s really supposed to be limited to ditch banks. If they’re burning fields and stuff they’re supposed to get a permit from DEQ (Department of Environmental Quality) to do so. They need to be out by dark and they need to be monitored at all times.”
The fire department asks people pay attention to their surroundings when they decide to burn.
“If they’re going to be close to structures, or fences, or anything like that, then they need to prepare ahead of time, do fire lines,” Radford said. “They need to cut the weeds down shorter so there’s not as much to burn. And then they need to pay attention to the weather.”
If you start a fire that gets out of control, you are responsible for any damages it causes. The Idaho Falls Fire Department asks that you call dispatch before starting your controlled burn to let them know it will be happening. That number is 208-529-1200.
