I have received complaints the last two weekends about open fires in Town and the associated smoke affecting the neighbors. Residents should be completely familiar with the following requirements any time you are burning outdoors.
West Virginia Forestry General Burning Guidelines are as follows.
All fires must have a ring or safety strip.
The safety strip itself must be cleared of burnable material and be at least 10 feet wide, fully encompassing the debris pile.
Fire must be attended until completely extinguished.
Only vegetative materials such as leaves, brush and yard clippings are permitted to be burned.
Fines for forest fires due to negligence range from $100 to $1,000 with additional civil penalty of $200.
Follow all burning season guidelines, which state that between March 1 and May 31 as well as October 1 through December 31, outdoor burning is prohibited during the daytime hours of 7 a.m. to 5 p.m.
The State shall recover from the person or persons, firms or corporations whose negligence or whose violations of any provisions of this article cause any fire at any time on any grass or forest land in the amount expended by the State.
A landowner must take all practicable means to suppress any fire on his property. If he fails to do so, the State shall collect from him the amounts expended by the State for such purposes.
If burning has occurred during permitted hours (5 p.m. to 7 a.m.), the fire must be completely extinguished by 7 a.m.
OTHER OPEN BURNING
§ 92.045 TITLE.
This subchapter shall be known as the “Marlinton Open Burning Ordinance.”
(Ord. passed 10-16-1986)
§ 92.046 VIOLATION.
It shall be a violation of the regulations of the town for any person to burn or cause to be burned any leaves, brush, trash or other combustible material on any public property within the town.
(Ord. passed 10-16-1986) Penalty, see § 92.999
