OXFORD — The Oxford Fire Department held grass and brush fire training on March 16 at the Village of Oxford Fire Department. The training coincided with the first day of the annual statewide ban prohibiting residential brush burning from March 16 through May 14.
“The training instructor was New York State (NYS) Forest Ranger Jeremy Oldroyd, who taught about the burn ban itself, its legalities, and use of the NYS Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) forest ranger,” said Oxford Fire Chief Ron Martin.
Martin said, “Every firefighter can learn a great deal from our forest rangers, when it comes to wild land fires they are the experts and have extensive knowledge of fighting these fires.”
“Forest rangers assist us in many wild land fires and they will issue tickets in certain situations.” said Martin. “For example, if you have a fire that gets out of control and it burns somebody else’s property, they can issue tickets.”
“If you violate open burning regulations you can be subject to criminal and civil enforcement actions. Minimum fine is $500 for the first offense,” he added.
“Real world experiences were brought to the training,” Martin said, “Most of the rangers have been deployed to some of the western states and Canada, where they have fought many large fires.”
Martin said the training also involved effective and safe firefighting tactics, such as what to avoid when fighting wildfires with different fuels such as grass verses heavy timber and Pine, how grass, brush, and timber fires evolve in different stages and add an increased level of danger and awareness.
He said they discussed the financial responsibility once a fire gets large where outside resources are called in besides your local fire departments, proper use and safety of wildfire tools, and the effects of weather and how it can help fires grow and how to help suppress that growth.
Martin shared the following tips for safe burning:
Never leave a fire unattended, if the fire gets out of control, call 911 and get help- do not try to put it out yourself.
Always check the weather and drought conditions before you burn, do not burn on a windy dry day.
Build campfires in open locations away from dry fuel sources, including overhead fuel sources and when dousing a campfire make sure it is cold before you leave the area.
Never burn garbage, many fires start this way.
Keep vehicles off dry grasses, heat from the exhaust equipment will start fires.
If you use fireworks, remember not only can it start fires where you set it off but also where it lands. If you do use fireworks and a fire results, it’s a good chance you will be ticketed and fined.
Backyard fire pits and campfires less than three feet in height and four feet in length, width, or diameter are allowed, as are small cooking fires” he said. “Only charcoal or dry, clean, untreated, or unpainted wood can be burned.
Martin explained that acres burned, differ from year to year, and are tracked by the DEC, for example: in 2016, 186 fires were fought with 4,191 acres burned. In 2011, only 47 fires with 232 acres burned and in 1944, it was recorded at 2,553 fires, which burned 48,225 acres.
According to DEC, 90% of all wild land fires are caused by careless human activity. The tracking included campfires, equipment malfunctions, negligently discarded cigarettes, and burning garbage or rubbish.
New York first enacted strict restrictions on open burning in 2009 to help prevent wildfires and reduce air pollution. The regulations allow residential brush fires in towns with fewer than 20,000 residents during most of the year, but prohibit such burning in spring when most wildfires occur.
For more information about fire safety and prevention, go to dec.ny.gov. and search firewise.