| Open Burning - ODF SWO District |
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| Rules & Regulations |
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ODF
Open burning of debris in piles or in burn barrels is allowed on ODF-protected lands in Jackson and Josephine counties. However, before lightning the match, call the open burning information phone number for your county. In Jackson County, the number is 776-7007. In Josephine County, the number is 476-9663.
Also, contact your structural fire protection district to find out whether you'll need a burning permit. No burning is allowed in the Jackson County Air Quality Management Area from Nov. 1 through Feb. 29. Open burning is strictly controlled in the city limits of Medford, Ashland and Jacksonville. Contact the city fire department for information about special permits.
In all cases, the person doing the burning is responsible for keeping control of the fire. Monitor the fire at all times, have fire-fighting tools close at hand, and put the fire completely out before nightfall.
Note: It is illegal to burn wet garbage, plastic, auto parts, insulation, asphalt, any petroleum products or petroleum-treated materials, rubber, animal or vegetable matter from the preparation or cooking of food, or any substance that emits dense smoke or odors. Basically, stick to burning woody debris such as tree stems and branches, brush cuttings, and needles and leaves.
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| Alernatives to Burning |
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For information about debris disposal alternatives in Jackson County, visit the county's "Open Burn Alternatives " web page.
For more general information about statewide opening burning laws, the effects of smoke and alternatives to burning, visit the Department of Environmental Quality's "Burning and Smoke Information " web page.
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| How to burn debris safely and effectively |
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Selecting and preparing a burn site
Choose a debris burn pile location that has plenty of room around and above it. Also, choose a site that is flat. Building a burn pile on a slope is risky since burning debris can easily roll out of a pile and start fires down the hill. Burn barrels should only be used on flat ground.
Make sure the burn pile site is at least 50 feet from structures, wood piles, propane tanks, snags and waterways. Also, the site needs to be at least 20 feet from tree branches, brush, tall grass, fallen trees or any other potentially flammable material. Ensure that there is nothing overhanging the debris burning site; tree branches and utility lines are easily ignited or damaged by flames and heat rising from a burn pile. Finally, scrape or dig a fire line around the burn pile. Make the fire line at least two feet wide, and ensure it is clear of any potentially flammable material such as grass, decaying wood and stumps. If the burn pile is located on a slope, dig a trench on the downhill side of the pile; make it deep and wide so it will capture burning material that may roll out of the pile.
Building a burn pile
Avoid large piles. If you have quite a lot of debris to burn, and a large area in which to burn it, consider making several small piles instead of one big one. Alternately, make a medium-sized burn pile. Then, once it is burning, feed additional material onto it.
Put the smallest, driest fuel at the bottom of the pile. All wood is fuel, but the best fuel for starting a fire is the fuel that will burn quickly and generate lots of heat. In general, wood that is smaller than ¼-inch in diameter, such as twigs and small branches, make excellent fire-starters. Conversely, needles, leaves and bark don’t burn particularly well and are not good choices for the bottom of the pile.
Cover the pile of small fuel to protect it from rain or snow, and then put larger pieces of wood on top. Good choices for covering dry fuel include scrap plywood or sheets of butcher paper. Plastic and tarpaper aren’t advisable since, when burned, they produce oily smoke. However, if you’re covering the entire pile and plan to remove the cover before burning, plastic sheeting is an excellent choice. Anchor it with big chunks of wood, or something else heavy, so the sheeting won’t blow off before you’re ready to burn.
Igniting and extinguishing a burn pile
Keep fire-fighting tools close by. A shovel for each person at the burn site is prudent. A rake is useful for fire control if the area surrounding the burn pile is littered with needles or leaves. Have a water supply close at hand. If the burn pile is near a spigot, run a garden hose that extends at least 25 feet beyond the burn pile site. Put on a nozzle, charge the hose and test it before igniting the pile. For piles that are in a remote location, strongly consider having a vehicle- or trailer-mounted water tank, with pump and hose, at the burn site. At the very least, a 5-gallon can of water should be kept close at hand.
Ignite the pile with a propane torch. This device produces a hot, nearly smokeless flame that forces dry fuel to burn quickly. A torch can be purchased at home improvement stores and propane distributors. A five-gallon bottle of propane will last through many, many piles.
Crumpled newspaper can also be used to light dry wood in a debris pile, but this method is less effective at creating a hot fire quickly. It is not advisable to use gasoline, diesel or kerosene as a fire-starter. Gasoline is explosive and dangerous to use. Diesel and kerosene, while less volatile, produce undesirable oily smoke. Oil and tires should never be used to burn piles.
When the pile is burning vigorously is the time to add needles and leaves. Use a pitchfork and add them one fork at a time. Too many loads of needles and leaves at a time may suddenly cool your fire. If the heat from your fire suddenly declines and heavy clouds of gray/white smoke start rolling out, wait until the fire rebuilds its energy before adding more needles and leaves.
When all your debris is burned, put it out. Cool the area with a sprinkler or a light spray from a garden nozzle. Put on leather gloves and stir the coals with a shovel. Use the tool to break up chunks of wood. Remove one glove and check for hot spots by passing the back of your hand a few inches above the ground. Repeat this process until the entire area is cool to the touch.
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