To burn or not to burn
By Nick Hytrek Journal staff writer | Posted: Sunday, November 04, 2007
Lucero Calderon rakes leaves at her family's Sioux City home. (Staff photo by Jim Lee)
The crackle of flames as they devour the browns, reds and yellows of fall.
The sweet smell lifting from smoky mounds in the back yard.
A common rite of fall: clearing yards of leaves, piling them high and striking a match.
But for safety and health reasons, more and more cities and towns are making autumn smoke-free by prohibiting the burning of leaves and other yard waste.
"Everybody likes the leaf-burning odor," Sioux City Fire Marshal Chuck Hirsch said. "But I think from a fire code officer's perspective, anytime you keep burning under control, it makes for a safer community.
"I do miss the odor of burning leaves, but I don't want to go back."
By going back, Hirsch means the days when Sioux City residents were allowed to burn leaves and yard waste for a limited time every spring and fall. The city now allows burning of landscape waste, garden waste, small tree limbs, twigs and branches if the homeowner has a permit. Leaves may not be burned, even with a permit.
"The less things you have burning, the less unwanted fires you're going to have," Hirsch said.
Safety is a main reason many cities have banned the autumn practice.
A sudden gust of wind can quickly turn a small pile of burning leaves into a grass fire that can threaten homes and firefighters. Many cities now offer other means of disposing of leaves.
"We believe that there are other management alternatives to burning," said Kevin Stoner, unit supervisor at the Nebraska Department of Environmental Quality.
Many cities now offer curbside pickup of leaves and yard waste. Others provide sites where citizens can dump leaves and grass clippings. Those practices not only lead to fewer fires getting out of control, but healthier communities. Despite the pleasant smell burning leaves can have, the smoke can be a hazard.
"Burning does release a lot of particulate matter into the air that may cause health concerns," Stoner said.
According to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, burning leaves produce carbon monoxide and high levels of hydrocarbons that can cause irritation of the eyes, nose, throat and lungs. Some of the hydrocarbons released are known carcinogens.
Particulate matter also may be inhaled and reach deep inside the lungs, increasing the chances of respiratory infection, reduce the volume of air inhaled and impair the lungs' ability to use that air, an EPA bulletin said.
Still, many communities allow leaf burning.
"It's been discussed over the years," said Pat Washburn, city clerk in Lawton, Iowa. "People are really conscientious of it. We have some who don't like it, others who love the smell of burning leaves. For the most part, we don't have a problem."
Those communities that do allow burning often place restrictions on it.
"You can burn leaves. We don't recommend it," said Jackie Stender, city clerk in Moville, Iowa.
Moville requires any burning to be done in a container in the homeowner's back yard. The city also has a site where residents can dump their leaves and yard waste.
Among other area policies:
-- Remsen, Iowa, is allowing burning of yard for a one-month period that ends Nov. 15.
-- North Sioux City allows burning of leaves and wood byproducts.
-- Dakota City, Neb., residents can get a permit to burn leaves, but most people get permits so they can burn off garden waste, said Jerry Yacevich, Dakota City Volunteer Fire Department chief.
"We get a few," he said. "Anymore with recycling, that really helps a lot."
Like Dakota City, officials in towns that allow burning often prefer to have their residents take advantage of services such as curbside pickup.
"We do have people who do burn," said Washburn, Lawton's city clerk. "We sell lawn and leaf bags and people can set them out. That is what we recommend."
Where burning is allowed, officials ask that residents use common sense. Rural Woodbury County residents can burn leaves, and farmers also are able to burn fields and ditches. Gary Brown, Woodbury County Disaster and Emergency Services director, said the policy works well as long as landowners pay attention to weather conditions and the wind.
"If everybody is respectful with what they're doing, we're going to get along pretty well," Brown said. "It's real important that people stop and think about what they're doing before they grab that book of matches."
In Sioux City, residents are able to have leaves picked up along with their garbage. Even with that convenience, some people get out the matches in the fall and ignore the city's open burning ordinance.
"There are still some people who do violate it, and if someone calls it in, we will go out," Hirsch, the city's fire marshal, said. "I know we've been to illegal burnings now that have gotten out of control."
Hirsch said the smell of leaves burning is as pleasing to him as the smell of freshly popped popcorn. But for safety reasons, he's happy the city doesn't allow burning.
"The permit process we have works pretty well," he said. "We have a limited number of permits, a limited number of incidents."
For many residents, they'll have to limit the smell of burning leaves in the fall to their memories.
Nick Hytrek can be reached at 712-293-4226 or nickhytrek@siouxcityjournal.com.
Burning safety tips
Notify neighbors, especially those with breathing problems, before you burn.
Do not burn on windy days.
Keep a hose with running water or other type of fire extinguisher close.
Never leave a fire unattended.
Burn smaller piles, which burn faster.
Burn from mid-morning to mid-afternoon, the time of day when smoke clears fastest.
The sweet smell lifting from smoky mounds in the back yard.
A common rite of fall: clearing yards of leaves, piling them high and striking a match.
But for safety and health reasons, more and more cities and towns are making autumn smoke-free by prohibiting the burning of leaves and other yard waste.
"Everybody likes the leaf-burning odor," Sioux City Fire Marshal Chuck Hirsch said. "But I think from a fire code officer's perspective, anytime you keep burning under control, it makes for a safer community.
"I do miss the odor of burning leaves, but I don't want to go back."
By going back, Hirsch means the days when Sioux City residents were allowed to burn leaves and yard waste for a limited time every spring and fall. The city now allows burning of landscape waste, garden waste, small tree limbs, twigs and branches if the homeowner has a permit. Leaves may not be burned, even with a permit.
"The less things you have burning, the less unwanted fires you're going to have," Hirsch said.
Safety is a main reason many cities have banned the autumn practice.
A sudden gust of wind can quickly turn a small pile of burning leaves into a grass fire that can threaten homes and firefighters. Many cities now offer other means of disposing of leaves.
"We believe that there are other management alternatives to burning," said Kevin Stoner, unit supervisor at the Nebraska Department of Environmental Quality.
Many cities now offer curbside pickup of leaves and yard waste. Others provide sites where citizens can dump leaves and grass clippings. Those practices not only lead to fewer fires getting out of control, but healthier communities. Despite the pleasant smell burning leaves can have, the smoke can be a hazard.
"Burning does release a lot of particulate matter into the air that may cause health concerns," Stoner said.
According to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, burning leaves produce carbon monoxide and high levels of hydrocarbons that can cause irritation of the eyes, nose, throat and lungs. Some of the hydrocarbons released are known carcinogens.
Particulate matter also may be inhaled and reach deep inside the lungs, increasing the chances of respiratory infection, reduce the volume of air inhaled and impair the lungs' ability to use that air, an EPA bulletin said.
Still, many communities allow leaf burning.
"It's been discussed over the years," said Pat Washburn, city clerk in Lawton, Iowa. "People are really conscientious of it. We have some who don't like it, others who love the smell of burning leaves. For the most part, we don't have a problem."
Those communities that do allow burning often place restrictions on it.
"You can burn leaves. We don't recommend it," said Jackie Stender, city clerk in Moville, Iowa.
Moville requires any burning to be done in a container in the homeowner's back yard. The city also has a site where residents can dump their leaves and yard waste.
Among other area policies:
-- Remsen, Iowa, is allowing burning of yard for a one-month period that ends Nov. 15.
-- North Sioux City allows burning of leaves and wood byproducts.
-- Dakota City, Neb., residents can get a permit to burn leaves, but most people get permits so they can burn off garden waste, said Jerry Yacevich, Dakota City Volunteer Fire Department chief.
"We get a few," he said. "Anymore with recycling, that really helps a lot."
Like Dakota City, officials in towns that allow burning often prefer to have their residents take advantage of services such as curbside pickup.
"We do have people who do burn," said Washburn, Lawton's city clerk. "We sell lawn and leaf bags and people can set them out. That is what we recommend."
Where burning is allowed, officials ask that residents use common sense. Rural Woodbury County residents can burn leaves, and farmers also are able to burn fields and ditches. Gary Brown, Woodbury County Disaster and Emergency Services director, said the policy works well as long as landowners pay attention to weather conditions and the wind.
"If everybody is respectful with what they're doing, we're going to get along pretty well," Brown said. "It's real important that people stop and think about what they're doing before they grab that book of matches."
In Sioux City, residents are able to have leaves picked up along with their garbage. Even with that convenience, some people get out the matches in the fall and ignore the city's open burning ordinance.
"There are still some people who do violate it, and if someone calls it in, we will go out," Hirsch, the city's fire marshal, said. "I know we've been to illegal burnings now that have gotten out of control."
Hirsch said the smell of leaves burning is as pleasing to him as the smell of freshly popped popcorn. But for safety reasons, he's happy the city doesn't allow burning.
"The permit process we have works pretty well," he said. "We have a limited number of permits, a limited number of incidents."
For many residents, they'll have to limit the smell of burning leaves in the fall to their memories.
Nick Hytrek can be reached at 712-293-4226 or nickhytrek@siouxcityjournal.com.
Burning safety tips
Notify neighbors, especially those with breathing problems, before you burn.
Do not burn on windy days.
Keep a hose with running water or other type of fire extinguisher close.
Never leave a fire unattended.
Burn smaller piles, which burn faster.
Burn from mid-morning to mid-afternoon, the time of day when smoke clears fastest.
Story Comments
Read More and Post Comments 0 comment(s)
Please note: The following are comments from readers. In no way do they represent the views of The Sioux City Journal or Lee Enterprises. We will not edit or alter your comments, but we do reserve the right to not post or to remove comments that violate our code of conduct. No comment may contain potentially libelous statements; obscene, explicit or racist language; personal attacks, insults or threats. Terms of Service
