|
|
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 controlled burning within Fairfax County and the towns
of Clifton, Herndon, and Vienna. This publication does
not address bonfires,
recreational fires, chimineas,
outdoor fireplaces, fire pits, & similar devices,
or barbecue grills.
|
Controlled burning, sometimes called
silvicultural burning, is the destruction and reduction
of land clearing waste through an open burning process
resulting from permitted land clearing operations, agricultural
operations, natural disasters, and may include the use
of an Air Curtain Destructor (ACD) and/or a Pit Incinerator
(PIT). 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.
Controlled burning 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 controlled
burning must be obtained from the County Fire Marshal
for each location. An FPCP for controlled burning may
be valid for up to 90 days.
|
| A)
|
Required Acreage. Controlled burning
operations shall be prohibited on properties of less than
five acres (217,800 square feet).
|
| B)
|
Location. The location for controlled
burning shall not be less than 50 feet from any structure,
and provisions shall be made to prevent the fire from
spreading to within 50 feet of any structure.
|
| C)
|
Attendance. Controlled burning
shall be constantly attended until the fire is completely
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.
The Fire Marshal may require additional fire extinguishing
provisions depending on the location and scope of the
controlled burning operation.
|
| D)
|
Allowable Fuels. Only land clearing
waste such as wood, trees, tree trimmings, brush, or other
vegetable matter indigenous to the site which is rendered
as waste as a result of land clearing operations may be
used as fuel for controlled burning operations. The burning
of all other types of refuse
shall be prohibited.
|
| E)
|
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.
|
| F)
|
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.
|
| G)
|
Other Property. No person shall
kindle nor authorize to be kindled nor maintain any controlled
burning operation in such a manner that will endanger
the property of another.
|
| H)
|
Hazardous Materials. Combustible
and flammable liquids shall not be used to aid the ignition
of any controlled burning operation. 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, controlled burning operations
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 controlled burn 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, controlled burning
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 controlled buring. FPCP Application |
| B) |
Duration of FPCP. A controlled
burning permit (FPCP) issued by the Fire Marshal may be
valid for up to 90 days from the date of application 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 conduct controlled burning on said property
must accompany the FPCP application. Controlled burning
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 controlled
burning operation. |
| 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.
|
|
| E) |
Verify 5 Acres. Controlled burning
operations shall only be permitted on properties of five
acres (217,800 square feet) or more. Locations or "parcels"
for controlled burning operations can be identified from
Fairfax County real property maps. A controlled burning
permit will only be valid on the parcel of land for which
it is issued. Detailed information about land parcels
located within Fairfax County, including the parcel number
and land area, can be accessed from the "My Neighborhood"
internet mapping and information reporting application
on the County web site. Please record the parcel number
and land area (acreage or square footage) for the proposed
controlled burn loacation on the FPCP application. Read
More Information
|
|
|
Ready to Burn? When controlled
burning is ready to commence, you must first arrange for
a site inspection with the Fire Marshal. Burning may not
commence until an FPCP for controlled burning has been
issued.
|
| B) |
Schedule a Site Inspection. The
site inspection must be scheduled at least one business
day prior to the start of the controlled burning operations.
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 controlled burn operations, 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
controlled burning operation. |
| 2. |
Provide the FPCP (Permit) number. |
| 3. |
Indicate the approximate
duration of burn. For burns lasting longer than a
single day and after midnight, DPSC must be notified
each day burning operations are conducted. This is
a condition of the permit and will help reduce unnecessary
emergency responses by the fire department.
|
| 4. |
Obtain the event number
for your controlled burn and record it on your permit.
|
| 5. |
Advise PSCC that you will
call at the conclusion of the controlled burn event
confirming that all burning activities have stopped.
|
|
| E) |
Post Burn Requirements. At
the conclusion of controlled burning opeations, 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 controlled burning 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.
|
