In the past if you had a brush pile to burn you waited for a calm damp morning or after a rain to burn it we just had to call into dispatch to give them a location so the fire department would not be called out for no reason.

Now the County Commissioners decided you need the approval of 3 of them to do a controlled burn. This new approval will tie up multiple people and take the whole day in my neighbors case to get approval, that delay causes the ideal window to disappear by the time you’re approved.

I'm surprised there isn't a fee involved, too.
Sometimes lightning strikes happen.

Do y’all have a Forestry Dept. We just call in and give them the location and acreage and they issue a burn permit number and tell you what time the fire needs to be out. We base where we burn on the wind as we don’t want to impede traffic on paved roads with smoke.

That was my first thought a new tax angle for a stupid idea just to collect a little more. Maybe if I call them at 6 AM a few morning they might change their minds. LOL

I never new the county commissioners were fire experts also. I’d maybe attend a meeting and ask for their credentials.. lol. Power is an addictive drug…. Around here, just a call to dispatch is still all that is needed.

Not here no trees like a forest for miles around mostly brush piles, hay or old buildings.

Thinking it’s a term limit issue.

Dang. I live in the middle of the desert and all that’s needed here is a call to dispatch. Except, depending on the year, usually June-October/November there is a total ban on burning.

I don't even call. It's my land. If I want to burn, I burn.

That’s all well and good until the fire department shows up and you’ve wasted resources on a false alarm.

Here calling and getting a permit get you out of serious trouble if something goes wrong. It also keeps you from getting a large bill of they have to roll out to secure a fire.

Why should you have to call someone to burn on your own property.
There are to many people trying to get involved with other peoples business in the name of safety or protection.

Because if it leaves your property and burns someone else’s, then you’re in some serious trouble.

Its more than likely tied to state or federal funding that you'll lose if they didn't implement it.

Remember the thread about schools losing money unless they canceled archery and hunting safety?
Same deal.

We got building codes here the same way, do it or else lose any gov't funding.

It just seems pointless to have to talk to 3 clueless people then just talking to one clueless one would get you the same results.LOL

I'll call them if I need them. I doubt I will. I have never called law enforcement either.

My farm. My rules.

Call the Fire Chief of your county. He's the one who should be issuing burn permits. He's the one that should be up on the appropriate conditions and times to burn. That's the way it is here. I'd see if the fire chief and a group of you could go before the commissioners to come to a better understanding and conclusion.

Calling before you burn is so that when someone who doesn’t know it’s a controlled burn calls it in, the dispatcher knows it’s just you burning your trash, and doesn’t send the engine and personnel out for no reason. Got nothing to do with being in control.

Also, around here, if you’re doing a controlled burn and it goes south, if you haven’t taken the proper steps you are on the hook for all costs of fighting the fire, all costs of property lost in the fire, and criminally responsible for all injury and death caused by the fire.

Lots of runaway grass fires/ brush fires every year. Sometimes careless, sometimes quick wind changes, etc.

A good meeting of the appropriate groups sounds like a better idea than calling commissioners, unless they are knowledgeable about prescribed burns and other particulars.