Outdoor burning ban lifted by Forest Service

Posted Monday, March 3, 2008

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Chatham County, NC - Due to recent rainfall, the North Carolina Forest Service has lifted outdoor burning restrictions for Chatham County and all other counties in the state.

"However, we still expect our residents to follow all the regulations related to outdoor burning and to exercise utmost caution," said Chatham County Fire Marshal Tom Bender. "Unexpected winds or carelessness can quickly lead to disaster."

The Division of Forest Resources will continue daily monitoring of conditions to determine if the burn ban needs to be reinstated, he said.

Open burning is always banned if there are any Red Flag warnings issued by the National Weather Service.

The ban was imposed Feb. 14 because of dry weather and depleted water resources across the state.

State forestry officials say that if people burn leaves and other vegetative materials they should take the same precautions they would take if it had not rained, because an untended fire can easily escape and become dangerous. Some important rules to follow if you burn include:

• Open burning may include burning leaves, branches and other plant material. It is illegal to burn trash, lumber, tires, newspapers, plastics or other non-vegetative materials. Such burning can produce toxic air pollutants.
• Outdoor burning is prohibited in areas covered by Code Orange or Code Red air quality forecasts.
• Make sure you have a valid burning permit. You can obtain a burning permit at any NCDFR office or permitting agent or online.
• Follow local laws on debris burning. Some communities allow burning only during specified hours; others forbid it entirely.
• Check the weather.
• Don’t burn on dry, windy days.
• Be prepared before burning. Keep fire tools available. To control a fire, you will need a garden hose, a bucket, a steel rake and a shovel for tossing dirt on the fire. Never use kerosene, gasoline, diesel fuel or other flammable liquids to speed burning.
• Always stay with the fire until it has been extinguished.

For more information, contact the Fire Marshal's Office at 919-542-8259.