Escambia County Fire Rescue reminds residents to exercise safe practices and follow all regulations when burning outdoors. Since April, there have been four people seriously injured and one person killed in Escambia County as a result of using accelerant on an outdoor fire. Using an accelerant on a fire is not only unsafe, but also illegal. This includes kerosene, gasoline and denatured alcohol. Remember the following rules and safety tips when burning outdoors in Escambia County:
Outdoor Burning Regulations
- It is illegal to burn household garbage (including paper products), treated lumber, rubber materials, tires, pesticides, paint and aerosol containers.
- Burning vegetative debris in a pile larger than 8 ft. diameter, or burning any area of land, requires an authorization from the Florida Forest Service at (850) 957-5700, and is subject to additional restrictions.
- Dry (not green) vegetative debris such as grass clippings, pine straw, leaves, tree limbs and shrub trimmings can be legally burned between 8 a.m. and one hour before sunset if it is in a pile not larger than 8 ft. in diameter and located:
- 25 feet from any forested area (grasslands, brush or wildlands).
- 25 feet from your home or other combustible structure.
- 50 feet from any paved or public roadway.
- 150 feet from any occupied dwelling other than your own home.
Tips for Burning Yard Waste Safely (Florida Forest Service)
- Clear down to bare, mineral soil around your pile to prevent the fire from spreading.
- Don’t burn on windy days.
- Never leave a fire unattended, even for a moment.
- Grass fires can spread quickly. Be prepared. Keep handy a water hose, shovel or other means to put out the fire.
- Make sure the fire is completely out before leaving it – no smoke and no heat.
- If your fire escapes, call for help quickly. Several minutes might pass before a fire department or the Forest Service can arrive on scene.
Make Sure the Fire is out
- Drown the fire with water, turn over the ashes with a shovel and drown it again. Repeat several times until it is dead.
- Check the burn area regularly over the next several days.
- At the onset of warm, dry weather, especially when accompanied by wind, check the burn area again, even if it is weeks after the burn.
