The Augusta Fire Department is eager to remind residents to be mindful of how they handle debris and waste on their property, as Richmond County’s Summer Burn Ban approaches.
“Historically, our residents choose sometimes to burn their yard debris instead of bagging it, trashing it, and during this time it’s become dangerous,” said Augusta Fire Marshal Lerone Beasley. “We respond to a lot of grass fires, outside fires and wildfires, and it’s because of these debris fires in their yard that get away from them with the conditions being dry.”
On Thursday morning, the Fire Department held a brush fire demonstration at the Augusta Fire Training Center on Deans Bridge Road, illustrating the how quickly and dangerously brush fires can spread. Firefighters would ignite small areas or corners on one of several specially placed squares of sod, dried out for about four days.
MORE: Washington Road near Interstate 20 sees several construction projects
While the flames did not get explosive, the heat spread across most of the other squares within minutes, burning the grass and maintaining the heat long after.
“You can light it off and then be attentive to it,” said Beasley. “Then a wind gust comes up, catches it, gets it out to the rest of the yard, to your neighbor’s yard, perhaps to the woodline if you’re close to the woodline, and then it turns into a wildfire or emergency that’s beyond your control.”
Beasley notes that last year that in Richmond County, firefighters responded to 84 brush and grass fires and 131 outside trash fires between May and September, which is the span of the burn ban. Out of those fires, 30 of brush and grass fires and 43 of the trash fires were in May.
The burn ban starts on Saturday, May 1 and lasts through September 30. From October through April, Richmond County permits residents to burn yard debris, such as leaves or small tree limbs, that have fallen on one’s property, 50 feet from a woodline or 100 feet from any structure.
“Our code says it’s residential structures, but really, you need to stay away from any large garages, large storage buildings, things like that,” said Beasley. “So any structure of substance you need to be 100 feet away from.”
The Richmond County requirements are more stringent than the state Environmental Protection Provisions regulations, which only requires that one burn debris no less than 50 feet from a structure and 25 feet from a woodline.
MORE: Condition of a North Augusta Greeneway bridge brought to council
While burning yard debris is banned between May and September, burning trash, including discarded lumber or tires, is illegal year-round.
While burning trash or burning debris during the burn ban present a possibly devastating physical and financial hazard, it could carry formidable legal consequences. Beasley notes that if firefighters respond to a fire and determine that it was due to a violation of the burn ban, the fire department has a right to give the resident a citation, after which they’d have to go before a magistrate court judge. If the damage is severe enough, the Forestry Association and even the district attorney to get involved, adding charges depending on the amount of damages done and the cost of resources used to mitigate the emergency.
“We as the fire department try not to be punitive with our efforts,” said Beasley. “We just try to be there to assist and mitigate emergencies and move on. However, we do have that option. And in some cases, when it’s extreme we have no choice but to pursue those options.”
Skyler Q. Andrews is a staff reporter covering education in Columbia County and business-related topics for The Augusta Press. Reach him at skyler@theaugustapress.com.
