|
|
Hours of Operation:
Monday - Friday: 8:00 a.m. - 4:30 p.m.
Location: Burkholder
Building
10700 Page Avenue
Fairfax, Virginia 22030
Telephone: 703-246-4849, FAX:
703-246-4872
TTY: 703-385-4419 |
 |
|
Code Compliance Guideline
(Permit Required)
June 2007
|
|
This publication outlines the requirements and limitations
for bonires within Fairfax County and the towns of Clifton,
Herndon, and Vienna. This publication does not address
controlled buring, recreational
fires, chimineas,
outdoor fireplaces, fire pits, & similar devices,
or barbecue grills.
|
A bonfire is an outdoor fire utilized
primarily for cerimonial purposes that has a total fuel
area of 3 feet or greater in diameter and 2 feet or
greater in height. Furthermore, the burning of materials
wherein products of combustion are emitted directly
into the ambient air without passing through a stack
or chimney from an enclosed chamber is classified as
open burning. A bonfire is a form of open burning.
In accordance with the Fire Prevention
Code, a person shall not kindle or maintain or authorize
to be kindled or maintained any open burning unless
approved by the County Fire Marshal and as outlined
in this publication. In addition, if under the requirements
of the County of Fairfax Air Pollution Control Chapter
(Chapter 103, Fairfax County Code) open burning is allowed,
a Fire Prevention Code Permit (FPCP) for a bonfire must
be obtained from the County Fire Marshal for each location.
An FPCP for a bonfire may be valid for up to 10 days
for a single bonfire event.
|
| A)
|
Location. A bonfire shall not
be conducted within 50 feet of a structure or combustible
material. Conditions which could cause a fire to spread
within 50 feet of a structure shall be eliminated prior
to ignition.
|
| B)
|
Attendance. Bonfires shall be
constantly attended until the fire is extinguished. A
minimum of one portable fire extinguisher with a minimum
4-A rating or other approved on-site fire-extinguishing
equipment, such as dirt, sand, water barrel, garden hose
or water truck, shall be available for immediate utilization.
|
| C)
|
Allowable Fuels. Only seasoned
dry firewood or similar clean burning materials shall
be permitted as fuel for bonfires. Land clearing waste
and/or refuse shall
not be used as a fuel for a bonfire.
|
| D)
| Fuel Quantity Limitation.
A bonfire should not have a total fuel area greater than
5' x 5' x 5' in dimension.
|
| E)
| Time Limitation. A bonfire
should not burn longer than 3 hours. The duration of a bonefire
may be extended as approved by the Fire Marshal.
|
| F)
|
Extinguishment. (Code of Virginia,
10.1-1142-D). Any person who builds a fire in the open
air, or uses a fire built by another in the open air,
within 150 feet of any woodland, brushland or field containing
dry grass or other inflammable material, shall totally
extinguish the fire before leaving the area and shall
not leave the fire unattended.
|
| G)
|
Precautions. (Code of Virginia,
10.1-1142-A). It shall be unlawful for any owner or lessee
of land to set fire to, or to procure another to set fire
to, any woods, brush, logs, leaves, grass, debris, or
other inflammable material upon such land unless he previously
has taken all reasonable care and precaution, by having
cut and piled the same or carefully cleared around the
same, to prevent the spread of such fire to lands other
than those owned or leased by him. It shall also be unlawful
for any employee of any such owner or lessee of land to
set fire to or to procure another to set fire to any woods,
brush, logs, leaves, grass, debris, or other inflammable
material, upon such land unless he has taken similar precautions
to prevent the spread of such fire to any other land.
|
| H)
|
Other Property. No person shall
kindle nor authorize to be kindled nor maintain any bonfire
in such a manner that will endanger the property of another.
|
| I)
|
Hazardous Materials. Combustible
and flammable liquids shall not be used to aid the ignition
of any bonfire. Furthermore, the application, dispensing,
or use of a combustible or flammable liquid, or any other
hazardous material, upon or into the fuel used in any
open burning operation including a controlled burn, bonfire,
or recreational fire shall be considered an unauthorized
release of a hazardous material and is strictly prohibited.
|
| A)
|
Prohibited Open Burning. In accordance
with the Fire Prevention Code, a bonfire that will be
offensive or objectionable because of smoke or odor emissions
when atmospheric conditions or local circumstances make
such fires hazardous shall be prohibited. The Fire Marshal
is authorized to order the extinguishment by the bonfire
permit holder (or the fire department) of open burning
which creates or adds to a hazardous or objectionable
situation. In addition, the Fire Marshal may order the
extinguishment of open burning because of one or more
of the following hazardous situations:
| 1. |
Unattended Fires |
| 2. |
Unprotected/Uncontained
Fires Deemed Capable of Spreading |
| 3. |
Inadequate Fire Extinguishing
Materials/Equipment |
| 4. |
Combustible Exposure Hazards |
| 5. |
Inappropriate or Hazardous
Materials Used As Fuel |
| 6. |
Air Contaminants, Smoke,
or Other Materials Which May Cause a Traffic Hazard. |
|
| B)
|
Spring Wildfire Season (4pm Law).
(Code of Virginia, 10.1-1142-B). During the period February
15 through April 30 of each year it shall be unlawful,
in any county or city or portion thereof organized for
forest fire control under the direction of the State Forester,
for any person to set fire to, or to procure another to
set fire to, any brush, leaves, grass, debris or field
containing dry grass or other inflammable material capable
of spreading fire, located in or within 300 feet of any
woodland, brushland, or field containing dry grass or
other inflammable material, except between the hours of
4:00 p.m. and midnight. During spring wildfire season,
you are allowed to burn between 4 p.m. and midnight as
long as you take proper care and precaution and attend
your fire at all times. For additional information on
the burn resrictions, including current fire information,
please visit the Virginina
Department of Forestry online.
|
| C)
|
Air Quality/Air Pollution Alert.
By order of the Fairfax County Health Department,
controlled burnring shall be prohibited durning the months
of June, July, and August of every year. In addition,
during all other times of the year when the Air
Quality Index (AQI) is greater than 150 ("Unhealthy"
or "Code Red"), controlled burning shall be
prohibited. During these dates and times, bonfire permits
issued by the County Fire Marshal shall be become invalid
and burning operations discontinued. This prohibition
does not apply to recreational
fires. For more information on air quality in the
Washington DC metropolitin area, visit the Air
Quality Forcast section of the Metropolitan Washington
Council of Governments (COG) online.
|
| D)
|
Refuse. The burning of refuse
shall be prohibited. Refuse shall mean and include garbage,
rubbish, and trade waste defined as follows:
| 1. |
Garbage shall mean animal and vegetable
matter such as that originating in houses, kitchens,
restaurants and hotels, produce markets, food service
or processing establishments, greenhouses, and hospitals,
clinics or veterinary facilities. |
| 2. |
Rubbish shall mean solids not considered
to be highly flammable or explosive such as, but not
limited to, rags, old clothes, leather, rubber, carpets,
wood, excelsior, paper, ashes, tree branches, yard
trimmings, furniture, metal food containers, glass,
crockery, masonry, and other similar materials. |
| 3. |
Trade waste shall mean all
solid or liquid material resulting from construction,
building operations, or the prosecution of any business,
trade or industry such as, but not limited to, plastic
products, cinders and other forms of solid or liquid
waste materials.
|
|
| E)
|
Materials Producing Dense Smoke. The burning of
tires, asphaltic materials, automobile bodies, used crankcase
oil, impregnated wood or similar materials which produce
dense smoke shall be prohibited.
|
|
|
Apply for an FPCP. Obtain
and complete a Fire Prevention Code Permit (FPCP) application
for a bonfire. FPCP Application |
| B) |
Duration of FPCP. A bonfire
permit (FPCP) issued by the Fire Marshal may be valid
for up to 10 days from the date of application for a single
bonfire event and may be renewed upon application to the
Fire Marshal.
|
| C) |
Property Owner Consent. A letter
from the owner of the property granting the applicant
permission to kiddle a bonfire on said property must accompany
the FPCP application. A bonfire shall be prohibited on
the property of another without the express written permission
of the property owner.
|
| D) |
Site Plan Required. A plat
or site plan of the property shall be provided with the
FPCP application and shall include the following information:
| 1. |
Proposed location of the bonfire. |
| 2. |
Location of all utilities such as gas
meters and overhead power lines. |
| 3. |
Location of all structures
and woodlands within 150 feet of the burn location.
|
| 4. |
Location of the two closest
fire hydrants and all fire department access routes.
|
|
|
|
Ready to Burn? When a bonfire
is ready to commence, you must first arrange for a site
inspection with the Fire Marshal. Burning may not commence
until an FPCP for a bonfire has been issued.
|
| B) |
Schedule a Site Inspection. The
site inspection must be conducted no later than 4:00 p.m.
on the day of the bonfire event, and must be scheduled
at least one business day prior to the day of the bonfire.
To schedule the site inspection, contact the Fire Inspections
Branch at 703-246-4849, Monday - Friday, 8:00 a.m.- 4:30
p.m..
|
| C) |
Notify DPSC. 30 minutes prior
to the start of a bonfire, and only after approval has
been granted by the Fire Marshal, contact the Fairfax
County Department of Public Safety Communications (DPSC)
at 703-691-2131 and provide/obtain the following information:
| 1. |
Provide the address/location of the
bonfire. |
| 2. |
Provide the FPCP (Permit) number. |
| 3. |
Indicate the approximate
duration of the bonfire (3 hours maximum).
|
| 4. |
Obtain the event number
for your bonfire and record it on your permit.
|
| 5. |
Advise DPSC that you will
call at the conclusion of the bonfire event confirming
that all burning activities have stopped.
|
| 6. |
This notification is a condition
of the permit and will help reduce unnecessary emergency
responses by the fire department.
|
|
| E) |
Post Burn Requirements. At
the conclusion of the bonfire, be sure the fire is completely
extinguished and notify DPSC that burning is stopped. |
| F) |
Spot Inspections. Periodic spot
inspections will be made by Fire Marshal to determine
adherence to the operating guidelines and fire safety
requirements. Failure to comply with operating guidelines
and fire safety requirements may result in the revocation
of the FPCP. The FPCP for the bonfire must be kept on
the site at all times during the burning operations.
|
|
Fairfax County is committed to a policy
of nondiscrimination in all county programs, services and activities and will
provide this document in alternative formats and in different languages upon
request. Please call 703-246-4753 (TTY: 711 or 1-800-828-1140) or write: Office of the
Fire Marshal, Fire Prevention Division, 10700 Page Avenue, Fairfax, VA
22030. Please allow at least seven working days for preparation of material.
|
