Open burning starts today, but be careful

Residents have begun preparing for the open burn season following the long-awaited relief brought by recent rains that will allow them to rid their properties of hazardous and unwanted debris.

Beginning Sunday, Oct. 1, open burning will be permitted through the end of November while weather conditions are stable enough to keep air quality up and fire danger down.

Despite the cold fronts and wet weather moving into the valley, Flathead County Fire Manager Lincoln Chute said the unusually dry summer has not fully released its grip as grass, timber and debris moisture remains low.

Though he agreed that debris burning is essential to lowering properties’ vulnerability to fires, Chute noted that given the longevity of the dry season and the small amount of rainfall that followed, fires likely will burn deeper into the ground and grow faster than in previous years.

He advised burning multiple small piles that can be more easily controlled than one big pile. He reminds those burning in wooded areas that slash and leaf litter can also ignite quickly, and suggested using hoses to wet the area around burn piles or maintaining a burn line to control its boundaries.

Chute also advised burners to begin in the morning before the afternoon winds pick up, creating a higher risk of fires spreading.

Recommended actions by the state Department of Natural Resources and Conservation during the open-burn season include pruning tree limbs and brush, removing leaf litter and mulch from a 100-foot radius around structures and cutting tall or dry grass and stumps.

Creating a “lean, clean and green” buffer around homes and structures reduces the risk of fires engulfing homes and burning other resources and also makes them more manageable for fire crews on the ground.

Though this summer was one of the harshest fire seasons in years, Chute reminds residents that fires can and do happen during the winter months as well.

Downed power lines and electrical shortages can cause sparks that can quickly grow.

“Just because it didn’t happen in the valley this year doesn’t mean it won’t happen in the future. We need to be better prepared,” Chute said.

Open burn season ends Nov. 30 as air-quality concerns start to rise with the oncoming of winter inversions, or air pressure changes.

As cool air sinks, Chute said smoke begins to settle in lower areas instead of dispersing, causing the haze from burn piles to thicken.

For this reason, Chute advised making the most of the open-burn season by using caution to get as much done over the next two months as possible.

One way of doing that, Chute said, is helping neighbors clear their land of debris as well as your own.

For more information about open burn seasons, creating survivable space, or preparing for wildfire, contact the fire prevention specialist for the DNRC in Kalispell at 751-2270 or go to www.firewise.org.

Reporter Mary Cloud Taylor can be reached at 758-4459 or mtaylor@dailyinterlake.com.