Fire Marshal's Office Bans Outside Burning Through Saturday

From Kim Hylander with the Fire Marshal's Office: 

"Tomorrow’s weather forecast is calling for low humidity and dry conditions with high winds of 20-30 mph and gusts up to 50 mph.  The Fire Marshal’s Office would like to alert the community regarding the threat of fire danger, i.e. outside fires that can spread quickly and out of control escalating into multi-alarm incidents threatening woodlands and structures while depleting fire and rescue resources.  

These weather conditions are similar to the conditions that arose this time last year in February that produced numerous brush fires. Therefore, the Fire Marshal’s Office is banning all outside fires through Saturday, Feb. 25. 

Due to high winds and wind gusts, the Fire Marshal’s Office urges residents to secure all outdoor furniture, trash receptacles, cooking grills, and other free-standing items that may become air born causing injury and damage if not properly secured.  The weather has been unseasonably mild this winter prompting homeowners to start early spring clean up and removal of large piles of debris such as damaged trees, shrubbery and leaves. Please note that outside burning of debris is prohibited for residential areas and the preferred method of debris removal is to have it chipped or shredded on site and/or transported to the landfill for disposal.  

On Wednesday, Feb. 15, the Commonwealth’s 4 p.m. burn law went into effect.  The law remains in effect until Saturday, April 30. The law is a restriction on open air burning that limits such burning to between the hours of 4 p.m. and 12 midnight if your fire is within 300 feet of the woods or dry grass which can carry the fire to the woods.  

This ban applies to all open burning, to include recreational and campfires. Most outside burn permits are limited to commercial or agriculture operations and as part of the process a comprehensive review of the operation are conducted before a permit will be approved and issued.  

To obtain more information or an application for a burn permit please contact 703-792-6360 or visit our website at www.pwcgov.org/fire, click on Fire Marshal’s Office and click on 'Burning Regulations.'"