Burn Piles Get Out of Control

The Lebanon Fire District responded to multiple calls during October after burn piles got a little out of control.

On Oct. 7 at approximately 3:30 p.m., Lebanon Fire District responded to a five-acre grass fire in the 36000 block of Airport Road after dispatch received a call for a “burn complaint.”

Lebanon initially responded with one fire apparatus, but after arriving in the area of the fire, the unit on scene had a difficult time finding access to the fire. In response, they called for additional units to help gain access.

BC31 was the second unit on scene and found a grass fire that was roughly five acres in size and moving slowly in a harvested field. The incident was upgraded to a first alarm assignment, drawing in three engines and a water tender to help suppress the fire. The crews were able to quickly knock the fire down and keep it from growing. They spent an additional hour extinguishing the smoldering hot spot throughout the field and fence lines.

LFD urged residents to consider alternatives to open burning as a way to avoid further strain on firefighting resources and help prevent additional fires.

Alternatives to open burning include: Recycle paper products; dispose of waste at a landfill; compost yard debris and kitchen scraps; reuse old lumber; use a chipper to create mulch or compost; organize a neighborhood cleanup day; or take hazardous materials like oil-based paints, solvents, garden chemicals and car fluids to a hazardous waste collection site, as burning these materials is illegal and dangerous.

On Oct. 19 at approximately 2:08 p.m., fire crews received a call for a small natural cover fire in the 31000 block of McCravens Lane. Upon arrival they found a two-acre fire that had spread from a previous fire. The property owner informed LFD that they had a fire a couple of days prior and thought the fire was out. The family left for the day to run errands and found the fire in their backyard when they returned. LFD responded with 13 firefighters, four engines and a water tender, and had the fire extinguished in about 90 minutes.

On Oct. 20 shortly after 1 p.m., fire crews responded to a brush fire in the 37000 block of Sodaville Cutoff. They encountered a slow-moving fire in the brush and grass that started from a legal backyard burn pile. Firefighters deployed handlines from the blackened area, knocking the head of the fire out. They remained on scene approximately 30 more minutes, mopping up the half-acre fire and confirming the fire was out. LFD responded with 15 personnel on two Type 6 brush trucks, one Type 3 brush engine, one water tender, one ALS fire medic and one rehab unit for firefighters, along with two chief officers. They were assisted by ODF.

After treating two brush fires caused by backyard burn piles within 24 hours, LFD noted that even though the burn ban has been lifted, extreme caution with burning should continue to be exercised, with appropriate tools and water close by.