This past weekend several out of control fires had numerous fire departments in the county scrambling to save structures and property. Dozens of acres were scorched, but thankfully, no homes were destroyed in Cleburne County. Every year inattentive residents put firefighters and the public in danger.
Blazes started from illegal trash piles being burned and from fires not being extinguished completely. With the gusty winds and somewhat dry conditions, fires quickly spread from their contained areas and wreaked havoc for residents and firefighters.
One fire Thursday afternoon on Good Springs Road reportedly started from a trash pile that had been burning. The fire became out of control and burned a small travel trailer and a portion of a storage building. Pine Snag, Hopewell, and Heber Springs fire personnel responded to the fire call.
A fire Saturday afternoon reportedly started from a trash pile fire that got away from a resident. Wilburn, Pine Snag, Tumbling Shoals, the Arkansas Forestry Commission, and Pangburn responded to the fire and kept it from consuming several structures in the area.
The second fire of the weekend happened around 4:30 p.m. Sunday when a stack of gas rig pads extinguished Friday, reignited. The fire was reportedly doused heavily with water before workers left the area, but was seen smoking Saturday and lead to the fire Sunday. A few bales of hay and a trailer containing hay or straw was lost in the blaze.
Simply following the law could have prevented some of the fires. There are restrictions on controlled burns. The Arkansas Department of Environmental Quality reports citizens are not allowed to burn household trash, tires, chemicals, construction, demolition, or salvage waste, processed wood or lumber, treated or untreated.
So, you can’t burn these items, what do you do with them? The ADEQ says household trash must be disposed of at a properly permitted landfill or transfer station. You can check with your local landfill or transfer station to see how to legally dispose of your old tires and construction or demolition materials.
According to ADEQ, Arkansas State Air Pollution Control Regulations Section 18.6 (b) prohibits the open burning of waste materials.
For citizens living in the city limits of Heber Springs, you can leave your items at the curb on your designated trash day for collection. Yard waste may not be picked up right away, but it will be collected at no charge.
If a burn ban is not in effect, the ADEQ says burning of leaves and branches or other yard waste, along with agricultural clearing, are allowed. You must stay with your fire and not burn after dark. Some cities, including Heber Springs, have ordinances against leaving fires unattended and you cannot burn after dark.
“Although open burning may be a convenient way to dispose of household waste and debris in many areas of the state, the potential perils of such activities far outweigh any benefits,” said Teresa Marks, ADEQ quality director. “The acrid smoke from outdoor burning could cause health problems to your neighbors and is a threat to our state’s environment. Open burning is also a significant fire hazard.”
Before you start a controlled burn, you must contact your local law enforcement dispatcher or your local fire chief. To contact the dispatcher for fires in Cleburne County, call 501-362-8291. Of course, if a fire has become out of control, you can reach emergency help by calling 911.
To report pollution problems related to open burning, contact ADEQ’s Air Division at 501-682-0729.
Before burning, it is suggested to check the weather forecast. Smokeybear.com reports weather fluctuations, such as sudden gusts of wind, like we experienced this past weekend, could make debris burning spark a wildfire.
The website also suggests you choose a safe site that will be far away from power lines, overhanging limbs, buildings, automobiles, and equipment. It should have vertical clearance at least three times the height of the pile, as heat from the fire extends far past the actual flames that you see. It should have horizontal clearance twice the height of the debris pile.
Once you’ve chosen a safe location, there are preparations needed to ensure the area is kept safe. Smokeybear.com reports the ground around the burn site should be surrounded by gravel or mineral soil (dirt) for at least 10 feet in all directions. Keep the surrounding area watered down during the burn.
“If using a burn barrel, make sure it is equipped with the proper features; Burn barrels must be made of all-metal construction in good condition (no rust on the sides or bottom) and properly ventilated with three evenly-spaced, three-inch square vents spaced evenly around the rim near ground level.
“Each vent must be backed by a metal screen. A Burn Barrel must have a metal top screen with mesh size of one-fourth inch or finer to keep sparks from escaping and potentially sparking a wildfire. When burning, layer the different types of debris and stir often. Be careful of sparks escaping the barrel when you stir it.”
To help ensure “extinguished” fires are truly extinguished, smokeybear.com suggests you stay with your fire until it is completely out. To ensure the fire has been completely extinguished, drown the fire with water, turn over the ashes with a shovel and drown it again. Repeat several times. Check the burn area regularly over the next several days and up to several weeks following the burn, especially if the weather is warm, dry, and windy.
The Arkansas Forestry Commission responded to 13 fires in 2009 in Cleburne County that burned 124 acres. So far this year they have responded to four fires in the county that have burned 40 acres. The numbers are only for the fires AFC has responded to, the number of actual fires in the county is greater.
Christina Fowler, public affairs coordinator for the AFC, said, “2008 and 2009 were below average for fires due to all the rain. We are currently in the middle of our fire season and citizens need to use caution.”
In addition to ADEQ, the Arkansas Forestry Commission has requests as well regarding controlled burning. “If you plan on conducting a prescribed burn (controlled fire to promote forest health and to clear underbrush), you need to call the AFC at 800-830-8015 to get weather information and to see if it is okay to burn that particular day.”
To report wildfires you can call the AFC at 800-468-8834.
Fowler also said there are there are a couple of websites to assist citizens. “One is www.arkfireinfo.org. This site details the current wildfire danger rating as well as any burn bans that have been issued by county judges.
“We also host the web site www.arkansasfirewise.com that provides information about reducing your home’s risk from wildfire.”
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This past weekend several out of control fires had numerous fire departments in the county scrambling to save structures and property. Dozens of acres were scorched, but thankfully, no homes were destroyed in Cleburne County. Every year inattentive residents put firefighters and the public in danger.
Blazes started from illegal trash piles being burned and from fires not being extinguished completely. With the gusty winds and somewhat dry conditions, fires quickly spread from their contained areas and wreaked havoc for residents and firefighters.
One fire Thursday afternoon on Good Springs Road reportedly started from a trash pile that had been burning. The fire became out of control and burned a small travel trailer and a portion of a storage building. Pine Snag, Hopewell, and Heber Springs fire personnel responded to the fire call.
A fire Saturday afternoon reportedly started from a trash pile fire that got away from a resident. Wilburn, Pine Snag, Tumbling Shoals, the Arkansas Forestry Commission, and Pangburn responded to the fire and kept it from consuming several structures in the area.
The second fire of the weekend happened around 4:30 p.m. Sunday when a stack of gas rig pads extinguished Friday, reignited. The fire was reportedly doused heavily with water before workers left the area, but was seen smoking Saturday and lead to the fire Sunday. A few bales of hay and a trailer containing hay or straw was lost in the blaze.
Simply following the law could have prevented some of the fires. There are restrictions on controlled burns. The Arkansas Department of Environmental Quality reports citizens are not allowed to burn household trash, tires, chemicals, construction, demolition, or salvage waste, processed wood or lumber, treated or untreated.
So, you can’t burn these items, what do you do with them? The ADEQ says household trash must be disposed of at a properly permitted landfill or transfer station. You can check with your local landfill or transfer station to see how to legally dispose of your old tires and construction or demolition materials.
According to ADEQ, Arkansas State Air Pollution Control Regulations Section 18.6 (b) prohibits the open burning of waste materials.
For citizens living in the city limits of Heber Springs, you can leave your items at the curb on your designated trash day for collection. Yard waste may not be picked up right away, but it will be collected at no charge.
If a burn ban is not in effect, the ADEQ says burning of leaves and branches or other yard waste, along with agricultural clearing, are allowed. You must stay with your fire and not burn after dark. Some cities, including Heber Springs, have ordinances against leaving fires unattended and you cannot burn after dark.
“Although open burning may be a convenient way to dispose of household waste and debris in many areas of the state, the potential perils of such activities far outweigh any benefits,” said Teresa Marks, ADEQ quality director. “The acrid smoke from outdoor burning could cause health problems to your neighbors and is a threat to our state’s environment. Open burning is also a significant fire hazard.”
Before you start a controlled burn, you must contact your local law enforcement dispatcher or your local fire chief. To contact the dispatcher for fires in Cleburne County, call 501-362-8291. Of course, if a fire has become out of control, you can reach emergency help by calling 911.
To report pollution problems related to open burning, contact ADEQ’s Air Division at 501-682-0729.
Before burning, it is suggested to check the weather forecast. Smokeybear.com reports weather fluctuations, such as sudden gusts of wind, like we experienced this past weekend, could make debris burning spark a wildfire.
The website also suggests you choose a safe site that will be far away from power lines, overhanging limbs, buildings, automobiles, and equipment. It should have vertical clearance at least three times the height of the pile, as heat from the fire extends far past the actual flames that you see. It should have horizontal clearance twice the height of the debris pile.
Once you’ve chosen a safe location, there are preparations needed to ensure the area is kept safe. Smokeybear.com reports the ground around the burn site should be surrounded by gravel or mineral soil (dirt) for at least 10 feet in all directions. Keep the surrounding area watered down during the burn.
“If using a burn barrel, make sure it is equipped with the proper features; Burn barrels must be made of all-metal construction in good condition (no rust on the sides or bottom) and properly ventilated with three evenly-spaced, three-inch square vents spaced evenly around the rim near ground level.
“Each vent must be backed by a metal screen. A Burn Barrel must have a metal top screen with mesh size of one-fourth inch or finer to keep sparks from escaping and potentially sparking a wildfire. When burning, layer the different types of debris and stir often. Be careful of sparks escaping the barrel when you stir it.”
To help ensure “extinguished” fires are truly extinguished, smokeybear.com suggests you stay with your fire until it is completely out. To ensure the fire has been completely extinguished, drown the fire with water, turn over the ashes with a shovel and drown it again. Repeat several times. Check the burn area regularly over the next several days and up to several weeks following the burn, especially if the weather is warm, dry, and windy.
The Arkansas Forestry Commission responded to 13 fires in 2009 in Cleburne County that burned 124 acres. So far this year they have responded to four fires in the county that have burned 40 acres. The numbers are only for the fires AFC has responded to, the number of actual fires in the county is greater.
Christina Fowler, public affairs coordinator for the AFC, said, “2008 and 2009 were below average for fires due to all the rain. We are currently in the middle of our fire season and citizens need to use caution.”
In addition to ADEQ, the Arkansas Forestry Commission has requests as well regarding controlled burning. “If you plan on conducting a prescribed burn (controlled fire to promote forest health and to clear underbrush), you need to call the AFC at 800-830-8015 to get weather information and to see if it is okay to burn that particular day.”
To report wildfires you can call the AFC at 800-468-8834.
Fowler also said there are there are a couple of websites to assist citizens. “One is www.arkfireinfo.org. This site details the current wildfire danger rating as well as any burn bans that have been issued by county judges.
“We also host the web site www.arkansasfirewise.com that provides information about reducing your home’s risk from wildfire.”
