Residents allowed to burn vegetation after getting permit
Fire department awarded grant for oxygen masks to aid animals
Forrest City residents who want to burn vegetation in their yards are required to get a permit before lighting the debris.
Forrest City Fire Chief Shane Dallas reminds residents that the city allows vegetation to be burned inside the city limits, as long as a permit is received.
“Last year, the Forrest City City Council passed an ordinance allowing the fire chief to issue burn permits for residential properties," said Dallas, adding that residents need to follow the process in place before burning leaves and limbs.
“People wanting to burn vegetation need to come to the fire department and fill out the permit. After that, we will go out and inspect the area to make sure it is safe to do that," said Dallas. "There are several stipulations that coincide with state law with distance, having a water source, having to be there on site the whole time and emphasizing that if you start this fire and it leaves your property and damages somebody else’s, you are financially liable for that,” he added.
Residents can pay for the burn permits at city hall, according to Dallas.
"It costs $20 for the permit to burn your limbs, leaves, pine needles or other vegetation safely," said Dallas.
According to the permit, residents have to call the fire department before lighting the fire to make sure conditions, such as wind or dryness, are favorable or unfavorable for burning.
The fire should be attended to at all times and extinguished before dark or before leaving the burn site. A copy of the burn permit must be kept at the site and is valid for three days.
The permit is for vegetation only. No trash, construction debris, tires or other such items may be burned.
"All of that is prohibited by the Arkansas Department of Environmental Quality," said Dallas of the trash. "I don't have the permission to even tell you to do that. That is set by state law. So don't do that because you could get into big trouble for it."
The fire should be at least 50 feet from any structure or vehicle. "That includes fences, decks and porches," said Dallas.
The permit also shows that care should be taken to ensure that heat, smoke and particulate matter does not damage neighboring property or become a nuisance.
If the fire gets out of control, a resident could forfeit any future burn permits for one year and be subject to a fine of $190 or more for unlawful burning, according to city law.
"In continuation of trying to keep our communities clean, we wanted to offer this option to our residents who might not be able to get leaves and such to the curb for the city to pick up," said Dallas.
Dallas also said the department recently received oxygen masks for animals for both fire stations.
"It doesn't happen often, but sometimes we will have a pet who has inhaled too much smoke and needs oxygen," said
Dallas. "We applied and were approved for the pet oxygen masks from The Invisible Fence."
Dallas said the department has masks for large dogs and smaller pets to try and help any pet that might need oxygen after a fire.
"We are excited to be able to offer this additional lifesaving measure to our community for our pets to help their survivability after a fire," said Dallas.