Open Burning Conditions

• The prevailing wind at the time of the burning shall be away from nearby residences and occupied buildings. Person conducting the burn will contact the City office 24 hours in advance for permission to burn, which is dependant, in-part, on prevailing winds for the upcoming 24 hours.
• Should a burning be permitted, the City will contact all residents in the area of the burn to alert them that a burn will take place during the determined time period.
• The burning shall be conducted as far away from a road as possible and controlled so that a traffic hazard shall not be created.
• The burning shall not be conducted during the duration of an agency-declared air pollution alert, warning, emergency, or significant harm episode.
• The person conducting the open burning shall give notice to the local fire department, and to the local Department of Natural Resources representative when the open burning is within an area under Department of Natural Resources jurisdiction, prior to any open burning. The notice shall include the time and location of the burn.
• Propane gas torches or other clean gas burning devices causing minimal pollution shall be used to start the burning.
• The person conducting the open burning shall be in the area of the burn site from the commencement of the burning until the fire is completely extinguished and if a permit is required shall have a copy of the permit at the burning site at all times.
• The person conducting the burn will keep a record of time started, wind speed and time extinguished to present to the Department of Natural Resources upon request.
• Fires shall not be allowed to smolder with no flame present, except when conducted for the purpose of managing forests, prairies, or wildlife habitats. If the burn smolders for longer than 24 hours and/or becomes a nuisance, the fire department will be called to extinguish the smoldering. A nuisance will be determined by three uninterested individuals.

Open Burning Prohibitions

• Open Burning. Only authorized persons may burn.
• Prohibited Materials. No person shall conduct, cause, or permit open burning of oils, rubber, plastics, chemically treated materials, or other materials which produce excessive or noxious smoke such as tires, railroad ties, chemically treated lumber, composite shingles, tar paper, insulation, composition board, sheetrock, wiring, paint, or paint filters.
• Hazardous Wastes. No person shall conduct, cause, or permit open burning of hazardous waste.
• Industrial Solid Waste. No person shall conduct, cause, or permit open burning of solid waste generated from an industrial or manufacturing process or from a service or commercial establishment.
• Demolition Debris. No person shall conduct, cause, or permit open burning of burnable building material generated from demolition of commercial or institutional structures. A farm building shall not be defined as a commercial structure.
• Salvage Operations. No person shall conduct, cause, or permit salvage operations by open burning.
• Motor Vehicles. No person shall conduct, cause, or permit the processing of motor vehicles by open burning.
• Garbage. No person shall conduct, cause, or permit open burning of discarded material resulting from the handling, processing, storage, preparation, serving, or consumption of food.
• Burning Ban. No person shall conduct, cause, or permit open burning during a burning ban put into effect by the City or the State.