Firefighters kept busy by out-of-control brush fires

Firefighters kept busy by out-of-control brush fires

April 10, 2001

FIVE FIREFIGHTERS with a brush truck responded to an out-of-control controlled burn along Highway 145 last week.

By Aspen C. Emmett
Journal Staff Writer

Controlled burns are intended to be just that — controlled. And when people follow set provisions, they are an easy way to replenish gardens and fields or clear out ditches and waterways, said Cortez Fire Marshal Frank Cavalier.

However, people are often unprepared or careless and their callousness can require calling in the fire trucks.

"We’re seeing the normal amount of burning and a couple of them have gotten out of control," Cavalier said. "Everything that we’ve had so far have just been minor. But people should realize, that if they start a controlled burn and it gets out of control, they are responsible for that. So any pending issues could possibly fall on their shoulders."

Cavalier said burning is a common practice in the area and that occasionally, the seasoned veterans are the ones who’s fires get out of control.

"Burning isn’t new to Montezuma County," he said. "But we see that people get a little bit careless. There isn’t a qualified person supervising it; the wind kicks up and then it gets away from them. That’s probably the biggest reason for controlled burns getting out of control."

People who wish to burn within the city limits are required to obtain an open burn permit through the Cortez Fire Protection District, Cavalier said.

The permit lays out guidelines for necessary equipment, contents of the burn and the time frame in which the fires should be conducted.

Usually, a fire department representative will come out, inspect a site, issue the permit at no fee, and then make necessary safety recommendations.

"A lot of people will have a pile right under power lines or maybe to close to a car or shed," Cavalier said. "Sometimes people just want to know where the best place to burn is. "

The fire district also requests that all burns be completed by 11 a.m. each day.

"Usually the winds kick up by early afternoon, and they are a lot calmer in the morning. If people start burning early in the morning, and have their fires out and all the hot spots extinguished by 11 a.m., then hopefully they won’t get caught by the wind."

Cavalier said the county doesn’t require open burning permits but asks that people follow similar guidelines and notify Cortez dispatch of when they plan to burn.

"We do ask that people, when they burn in the county, that they do call in to the dispatch center ... this way, if somebody else sees the burning and they call it in, the dispatchers aren’t sending fire crews out unnecessarily."

County residents are also asked to try to burn before 11 a.m. although it is not a requirement.

Cavalier said people need to be aware of several things when they plan a controlled burn, including the weather conditions and the direction the wind is blowing.

"If you’re burning close to the road, and the wind is blowing across the road, that could impede traffic," he said. "Again, the people doing the burning are responsible. They don’t want to cause a collision."

Although looming air pollution has not brought about "burn and no-burn" days in the area, as in most major metropolises, Cavalier said people need to be aware of how the smoke effects others around them.

Overcast, still days are usually the worst days to burn because the clouds can hold in the smoke if there is no wind.

"Then we might try to talk to those people about burning on a clear day with no wind so the smoke will go straight up instead of laying in the backyard and interfering with their neighbors."

Added moisture can also be a two-sided sword this year, Cavalier warned.

"It’s a good sign and it’s a bad sign," he said. "Everything that was kind of dormant for a long time is going to grow rapidly. And then if it gets warm again, there’s that much more fuel to contend with."

Cavalier said that anyone who has questions regarding controlled burns is welcome to call the Cortez Fire Protection District at 565-3157.