Outdoor burning laws

[dstig1]

Yeah, ours are free too. They do have instructions to call in every day you want to burn and see if it’s a “go” or “no go” burn day, then they ask for your permit number so they know the location of the burn if it’s a “go” day. That way, they won’t send out a fire crew to check on the burn if someone reports it. The county does a good job of making the system work well without excess processes.

Similar here (free). It is mostly so they have your contact info. Then the day of a burn you call the Sherriff dispatch and let them know you are burning and your cell phone. If someone reports it, they may call you and you better answer or they can send the fire trucks. If they do that because you didn't answer, then you pay like $800 or more for the fire call, but there is no other actual fine. I suppose there might be fines if your fire got out of control and caused other damage but that is pretty rare here due to climate. Those fines would fall under "willfully stupid," I expect.

A few days each year there will be burn bans, but due to being dry and high winds only. Usually only a day or two at a time.

 

[jyoutz]

Similar here (free). It is mostly so they have your contact info. Then the day of a burn you call the Sherriff dispatch and let them know you are burning and your cell phone. If someone reports it, they may call you and you better answer or they can send the fire trucks. If they do that because you didn't answer, then you pay like $800 or more for the fire call, but there is no other actual fine. I suppose there might be fines if your fire got out of control and caused other damage but that is pretty rare here due to climate. Those fines would fall under "willfully stupid," I expect.

A few days each year there will be burn bans, but due to being dry and high winds only. Usually only a day or two at a time.

Ours works about the same except we call the county fire district office, not the sheriff. IDK about fines: I always burn big piles under snow cover so I don’t worry about escapes. I used to be a prescribed burn boss with my agency and we often burned thousands of acres of logging slash and natural fuels weekly. But we also had crews and equipment. Since it’s just me at home, I just wait for snow.

 

[TIMMYDUCK]

 

[Yander]

Where's the Hot dogs

 

[TIMMYDUCK]

Where's the Hot dogs

Behind me on a table next to the beer barrel.

 

[K5lwq]

This reminded me of when we left the farm and moved to Pensacola. Dad and I took a job cleaning a lot up and being fresh from the farm, we started a fire to get rid of a bunch of brush.

Directly a fire marshal showed up and asked to see our permit for the fire. Dad asked him, what the hell is a permit? Dad was the type of man that did not like being told what he could and couldn’t do!

The fire marshal proceeded to inform us that we were not allowed to have an outdoor fire without a permit from the city except for cooking. Then he handed Dad a bucket and told him to put that fire out. Dad threw the bucket down and said I will put it out but I ain’t using a F###### bucket! So we grabbed our shovels and put the fire out.

After the marshal left, Dad said get in the truck we need to go to the store. We bought a bunch of hotdogs and buns and stopped by the house and got some coat hangers. Then went back to the job site and started the fire again.

Before long the marshal was back and said where is your permit. Dad said we don’t need one. We are cooking some hotdogs for lunch. Then he said would you like one? That guy was pissed. He jumped in his truck and took off. We laughed at that for years.

 

[RjCorazza]

This reminded me of when we left the farm and moved to Pensacola. Dad and I took a job cleaning a lot up and being fresh from the farm, we started a fire to get rid of a bunch of brush.

Directly a fire marshal showed up and asked to see our permit for the fire. Dad asked him, what the hell is a permit? Dad was the type of man that did not like being told what he could and couldn’t do!

The fire marshal proceeded to inform us that we were not allowed to have an outdoor fire without a permit from the city except for cooking. Then he handed Dad a bucket and told him to put that fire out. Dad threw the bucket down and said I will put it out but I ain’t using a F###### bucket! So we grabbed our shovels and put the fire out.

After the marshal left, Dad said get in the truck we need to go to the store. We bought a bunch of hotdogs and buns and stopped by the house and got some coat hangers. Then went back to the job site and started the fire again.

Before long the marshal was back and said where is your permit. Dad said we don’t need one. We are cooking some hotdogs for lunch. Then he said would you like one? That guy was pissed. He jumped in his truck and took off. We laughed at that for years.

That's what I used to tell people to do that were polite to me when I was called to investigate controlled burns. Cooking fires are allowed in many jurisdictions.

 

[Hay Dude]

Have to laugh at how times have changed. In the late 90’s, I had just married and bought my first house On 3/4 acre.
It was a shambles. I tore out 100’s of feet of studded walls in the basement, picnic tables, old firewood, random burnable junk and threw it on a big pile in the back yard.
I let my neighbors know it was going to be smoky for a few hours before an upcoming rain and was doing some burning.
Neither cared and I burned junk for about 3 days.

Now, in that same township you can’t burn. It all has to be buried in a landfill.

 

[Oaktree]

You could always do what they used to do years ago. Paint them white and use them as yard planters.

Dunno if they still do it, but I remember seeing tires hung on fenceposts in one of the prairie states when I was on a road trip. Anyone know why they did/do that?

 

[Oaktree]

Our place has some tires that were dumped on it. We are going to use them in various ways, mostly as planters for raised herb gardens. Rosemary will completely cover them in a year or two.

Years ago they were sometimes used as kind of a redneck retaining wall. Row of tires, fill 'em with dirt, another row, generally set back 6" or so, etc.
Neighbor had one of those on his property. PITA to get it out of there...had to hire someone with an excavator to dig 'em out. Then had to clean all the dirt out of them before anyone would take them.

Fortunately, that went out of fashion too.

 

[buckeyefarmer]

You just confirmed my point.
People know when its “inappropriate” to burn.
Dry- don’t burn. Damp-burn.
Not a real difficult concept, unless you live in a Nanny State.

Actually they don’t always know. We get idiots starting fires during dry windy burn ban days.

 

[ruffdog]

My fire is burning down now and the Usinger's beef wieners are thawing. We will cook them once it gets down to just coals. We have some left over tomato soup to go with it too. We are having a beautiful day for it...85F and low wind.

 

[Torvy]

I think the point is that those who don't know also will not know or care about things like training or permits.

Those types of things only stop rule followers. Rule followers already know and follow fire safety rules...it's kinda their thing. So basically, an extra hoop and/or fee for the just.

 

[Torvy]

My fire is burning down now and the Usinger's beef wieners are thawing. We will cook them once it gets down to just coals. We have some left over tomato soup to go with it too. We are having a beautiful day for it...85F and low wind.

Egad, man! If you have Usingers, at least have the common decency to eat brats.

You can get Johnsonville anywhere now, but Usingers and Klements are regional. We used to be neighbors with a big shot from Klements. Lots of free brats in the neighborhood.

 

[ruffdog]

Egad, man! If you have Usingers, at least have the common decency to eat brats.

You can get Johnsonville anywhere now, but Usingers and Klements are regional. We used to be neighbors with a big shot from Klements. Lots of free brats in the neighborhood.

They are Usinger's Beef Frankfurters. They are pre-cooked so we just have to heat them up a bit, make them a little bubbly and they are ready to eat.

 

[Torvy]

They are Usinger's Beef Frankfurters. They are pre-cooked so we just have to heat them up a bit, make them a little bubbly and they are ready to eat.

I thought any self-respecting cheesehead (my younger 2 are bona fide cheeseheads) would never pass up a brat for a frank. Those are for kids. You know the drill. Boil them in beer, finish on the grill. Man, you're making me hungry just thinking about it. Gotta head up to Karl's in Menomonie Falls. Definitely things I miss about Wisconsin, especially this time of year.

 

[jyoutz]

Dunno if they still do it, but I remember seeing tires hung on fenceposts in one of the prairie states when I was on a road trip. Anyone know why they did/do that?

I’ve seen tires on fence posts painted white, and I figured it was for spotting the fence line from a distance, but just a guess.

 

[jyoutz]

I think the point is that those who don't know also will not know or care about things like training or permits.

Those types of things only stop rule followers. Rule followers already know and follow fire safety rules...it's kinda their thing. So basically, an extra hoop and/or fee for the just.

In the west, we have red flag days and other degrees of fire hazard days as part of the things used to inform people about hazards. It’s not always apparent. Sometimes red flag days start out good and then high winds pick up later in the day.

 

[Torvy]

In the west, we have red flag days and other degrees of fire hazard days as part of the things used to inform people about hazards. It’s not always apparent. Sometimes red flag days start out good and then high winds pick up later in the day.

I think that is useful. Let people know, but ultimately, it is up to them. If they have a fire that gets out of control, hold them accountable.