Burn barrels used incorrectly pose danger

MAT-SU — It only takes a few seconds for embers from an unattended or non-compliant burn barrel to lead to disaster.

How burn barrels are used and where they are located are of prime importance, said Tom Greiling, supervisor of fire prevention for the state Division of Forestry’s Mat-Su office.

“It’s a huge issue for us,” he said.

The Alaska Department of Natural Resources, which houses the Division of Forestry, estimates 75 percent of burn barrels in Alaska do not meet specifications.

“It’s probably even more than that,” Greiling said.

Many Valley residents may not realize that if their burn barrel is not compliant, they must obtain a burn permit and call the Burn Permit Recording at 761-6312 prior to burning.

“If the burn barrel you’re using is not an approved burn barrel,” Greiling said, “then you’re subject to the requirements of a burn permit. If your burn barrel does not have the protection of a screen, if there are uncovered holes … we treat it like any other open burn on the ground.”

Burn permits are available at the Alaska Department of Natural Resources webpage, dnr.alaska.gov, or in person at local fire stations. However, the use of burn permits has been suspended due to current conditions.

Regardless of conditions, it is always important to follow the procedures listed on the back of the burn permit, Greiling said.

“The permits are actually designed and intended to be a fire prevention tool,” he said. “And the guidelines on the back are really the meat and potatoes of that.”

Permit holders are required to have the permit on their person while doing the burn.

“That means those guidelines are right there in front of people,” Greiling said. “And remember, when you get one, you’re agreeing to abide by them.”

Central Mat-Su Fire Department Chief James Steele said when firefighters go out on calls involving burn barrels, they see several errors consistently.

“There is a tendency to overfill them,” he said. “They’ll have material coming out of the top, or there’s too much crammed in there.”

Another consistent problem firefighters encounter, Steele said, is people trying to burn things they shouldn’t.

“A lot of people use burn barrels to burn trash,” he said. “It’s not unusual to find burning plastic — which is actually a violation of the Clean Air Act — and people even burn things like old appliances and electronics. Someone recently put old wiring into a burn barrel to burn the coating off so they could salvage the copper, which produces a very toxic smoke.”

Steele said it’s not uncommon to find people burning paint cans and aerosol cans, such as spray paint or hairspray, which can pose a real danger, as they can rupture and send out shards of metal.

Another common mistake firefighters see is a lack of clearance around burn barrels.

“We’ve seen people setting their burn barrels in brush, in tall dead grass,” he said. “Sometimes while they’re burning they’ll lean unburned materials up against the side of the barrel.”

Each of these problems goes directly against burn barrel specifications, Steele said.

Greiling said there’s another aspect to starting a burn people may not consider.

“Every year, there are injuries and even fatalities across the country to firefighters who are called to fight wildland fires. Every (fire) start is a potential injury,” he said. “It’s a dangerous occupation. Air tankers and helicopters dropping retardant can crash, as can the engines responding to a fire. We’re asking people to help our firefighters stay safe.”

Some of it is just common sense, Greiling said. For example, the permit states burning is not allowed during windy conditions.

“Right now, 5 miles an hour of wind is too much wind.”

A complete list of burn barrel specifications and best burning practices is available online at forestry.alaska.gov/burn. But here are some basic burn barrel safety tips:

• The barrel must have a screen over the top made of no larger than 5/8-inch mesh.

• Holes or vents on the barrel also must be covered with the same sized-mesh.

• The barrel must be surrounded by 10 feet of non–combustible surface material, such as dirt, gravel or cement.

• The barrel should be located at least 30 feet away from any structures.

• There must be a working hose on hand.

• The barrel must not be left unattended until the fire is out.