Published: March 27, 2008 04:15 pm            

BURN BANS

KAUFMAN COUNTY:

Brush, branches, limbs, leaves and unpainted or untreated lumber are the only items that can be burned on open ground where there is not a burn ban.

Notification must be made to Kaufman dispatch at 972-932-4337 prior to burning brush piles.

Provide your name, phone number and location of the burning. Brush burning is to be performed after sunrise and cease before sunset.

Perform any necessary precautions to ensure a safe fire.

All fires should be monitored throughout the entire burn and a cell phone is recommended to call 911 if a fire gets out of control.

BURN BARRELS:

Common household trash that is generated at your residence may be burned on your property IF:

• The common household trash is burned in a barrel and in a safe area;

• the barrel has a screen on top that is capable of suppressing sparks and embers;

•a water hose or other sufficient water source is readily available to extinguish the fire;

• the fire is monitored by an adult the entire time of of burning;

• the smoke emitted from the barrel must not create any negative effects to a residence or other sensitive receptor such as livestock barns, greenhouses or businesses;

• the barrel is taken to a proper landfill when it becomes full of ash and is no longer usable. It is illegal to bury a burn barrel on your own property.

NOTE: Tires, trash, shingles, carpet, wiring, plastics, rubber compounds, metals glass, construction debris and similar items cannot be burned on open ground.

Burning the items is illegal and will result in fines and possible arrest. These items must be disposed of at a proper landfill.

For a complete set of rules, readers can refer to the rules set forth by the Texas Commission on Environmental “Quality, Chapter 111, Subchapter,B Outdoor Burning: www.tceq.state.tx.us/assets/public/legal/rules/rules/pdflib/111b.pdf

        

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