Introduction

The purpose of my blog is to share with you what I have learned based on my experience as a practicing forester in California and Washington and as the general contractor in our former homestead in Mendocino County, California and our current homestead in Kittitas County, WA. As a forester, for more than a decade, I have practiced forestry within the context of a strong land ethic that endeavors to balance economic return with the beauty, clean water, clean air, wildlife habitat, recreation and carbon storage offered by well managed forests. As home and property owners, my family and I challenge ourselves to make our footprint smaller, through conservation, sourcing quality materials from well managed sources as close to home as possible and use of alternative technologies within a budget. Thank you for visiting my blog and I hope that the information provided will help you as a steward of the forest and in the place that you call home.

October 30, 2005

Safe Debris Burning

By Thembi Borras

According to the Mendocino County Air Quality Management District, it is now winter burning season. Burning is allowed between the hours of 9am and 3pm only on permissive burn days. The burn forecast recording for Mendocino County is available 24-hours a day at 707-463-4391. It is not legal to burn anything except vegetative matter. A good rule of thumb is if it didn’t grow on your property, you may not burn it.

Burn permits are required for single piles in excess of 4' by 4'. They cost $10 and are available through the Mendocino County Air Quality Management District; the District can be reached at 707-463-4354.

In Mendocino County between 1994 and 2003, 18% of assigned fires were caused by escaped debris fires. The following are measures intended to minimize fire danger health issues and nuisance smoke:

1. Establish a 10-foot clearance from any combustible material.
2. Have shovel and water on hand until the fire is out.
3. Have a responsible adult present.
4. Consider a no-burn option. Composting and chipping may be feasible alternatives. Limbs and other debris may also be piled for wildlife habitat if located where they do not pose a fire hazard.
5. Burn one pile at a time.
6. Check the weather. It may be too windy to burn if trees are swaying, flags are extended, or waves appear on open water. It is not a good idea to burn on a day with a strong inversion because inversions trap pollutants at or near ground level and do not allow them to disperse. An inversion is when a layer of warm air traps a layer of cold air beneath it.

For more information, visit the website http://www.co.mendocino.ca.us/aqmd/. In Humboldt County, you can contact the North Coast Unified for burn information at 707-443-3093.

A portion of this production was gleaned from http://www.dnr.wa.gov/htdocs/rp/stewardship/bfs/WESTERN/safedebrisburning.html
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