Madison Fire Dept. Receives Multiple Outdoor Burning Complaints
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Incident Details
Firefighters are responding to an increased number of outdoor fires started by residents who are eager to purge their yard waste during spring cleanup.
The Madison Fire Department reminds everyone in Madison, Shorewood Hills, and Blooming Grove that outdoor fires are allowed when the following expectations are met:
- Only clean, dry wood is burned;
- The fire burns in an outdoor fireplace that has a container, spark arrestor, and lid;
- The outdoor fireplace is situated at least 15 feet from all buildings;
- There’s some type of extinguisher (e.g. garden hose, fire extinguisher, etc.) nearby.
Here’s a list of outdoor fire calls the MFD received on Saturday, March 26:
4:12 p.m., Manitou Way & Iroquois Dr.
Firefighters located an unattended yard waste fire. A pile approximately 4 feet wide and 3 feet high was smoldering in a backyard. The homeowner was apologetic and explained she didn’t know about the rules about yard waste burning. Ladder 6 used her garden hose to put out the fire.
6:20 p.m., 700 block Whitehall Dr.
Residents were having a bonfire and didn’t have a hose nearby. The fire was extinguished, and firefighters gave them a copy of the Outdoor and Open Burning Guide explaining what the requirements of outdoor burning are.
6:38 p.m., Glenway and Ross Streets
Engine 9 met with a man who was burning yard waste materials in his front yard, which he described as controlled burning of “prairie plants.” He did have a 5-gallon bucket of water with him, but he didn’t have a controlled burn permit. Firefighters saw mostly grass, leaves, and brush in the pile, which cannot be burned in Madison. The man poured his bucket of water onto the smoldering pile and was asked not to burn these materials anymore.
9:43p.m., 7400 block Whiteacre Rd.
Area residents were having an outside fire and reportedly using light fluid to feed the fire. Firefighters put out the fire with their water can.