Allen County issues open-burning reminder

FORT WAYNE, Ind. (WANE) - The Safety and Environmental Management Department wants to remind Allen County residents that there are procedures and limitations for open-burning during the fall.

Here is a list of limitations to keep in mind:

• Burn piles must be at least 20 feet away from owned structures, roads or power lines and 100 feet from any fuel storage area, pipeline or non-owned structure.
• Burning is only permitted between the hours of 8 a.m. and 5:30 p.m. and must be done during safe weather conditions.
• Wind speeds should be less than 20 m.p.h
• Burning cannot take place during an Air Quality Action Day
• Only clean wood or untreated wood products, brush and leaves that originated from the property may be burned. The material must be burned in a noncombustible, ventilated container.
• Water sources and a shovel should be kept on hand to control a burn if winds unexpectedly fan it into possible trouble.
• Local or state officials have the authority to extinguish a fire if it is determined to be a nuisance, pollution problem or threat to property or public health.

If you have any questions about Allen County’s open burning procedures, contact the Safety and Environmental Management Department at (260) 449-7265 or your community’s fire department.

If you are interested in getting rid of your leaves in an environmentally-friendly manner, you can check out the Allen County Solid Waste Management District website .