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Fire Safety
The fire protection agencies
within the San Joaquin Valley all stress the need for agricultural burn permit
holders to practice fire safety when conducting agricultural burning.
To maintain a safe fire, the fire protection agencies recommend observing
the following fire safety guidelines:
- All
burning locations must be attended at all times by able-bodied adults with
adequate tools or equipment to control a fire from escaping.
- All
burn locations must have adequate clearance to avoid escape.
The burn area should be a “fire safety zone” away from homes,
shops, garages, and other buildings or equipment.
Do not burn near utility poles or utility supply lines.
A rule to remember is to remove all combustible materials from at
least 30 feet around the burn area.
- Do
not use fuels such as tires, gasoline or diesel to ignite the fire.
It is extremely dangerous to use any flammable liquid around any
fire. Always use an approved
ignition device, such as a propane burner.
- Avoid
burning near a highway or roadway. Ashes
or heavy smoke can create a very dangerous situation for drivers and winds
caused by vehicles could cause the fire to escape from the fire safety zone.
- When
conducting a large field burning operation, light the fire into the wind (on
the downwind side) to avoid having the fire become too large too quickly and
overwhelming your ability to control the fire.
- Do
not burn on windy days. If the
fire can no longer be controlled safely, the fire must be immediately
extinguished.
- Paper
raisin trays must be contained in a wire burn cage prior to burning to avoid
escape of burning embers or ash. The
cage should never be filled beyond half and should be placed in a “fire
safety zone”.
The
permit holder is responsible for controlling the agricultural fire.
If a fire should escape control, the responsible party may be found
negligent and held liable for penalties and all fire suppression costs.
In addition, the responsible party may be held accountable for any civil
penalties to other property that is burned or damaged as a result of an escaped
fire.
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