Sec. 38-7. - Burning restricted.
(a) Burning of garbage and recyclables prohibited. No person shall, within the village in any public or private place, burn garbage or recyclables of any kind, including but not limited to unused food, waste matter or vegetables or other organic matter intended for human or animal consumption.
(b) Open burning restricted.
(1) No person shall burn anything outdoors within the village except pursuant to a written permit from the clerk, deputy clerk, or designee who may issue a temporary or annual (January 1 through December 31) to the owner, or owner’s designee, of a residential property. All permits must be signed by the owner and the owner’s designee, if any. The clerk, deputy clerk or designee may issue a permit to allow for the burning of yard waste such as leaves, rakings, brush or other unprocessed combustible vegetative matter. Any permit issued shall be subject to the conditions outlined below. In addition, the clerk, deputy clerk, or designee may make the permit subject to such conditions as may be necessary to secure the public safety.
a. One burn pile per site.
b. Burn pile located no closer than 20 feet from buildings and structures; height of pile no more than three feet; diameter of pile no more than ten feet.
c. Materials to be as dry as possible to avoid excessive smoke.
d. No burning on windy days. e. Fire to be attended by a person over the age of 18 at all times.
f. Burning completed on same day as begun.
g. No burning by tenants on rental properties without owner's written consent.
h. Minimum two five-pound or one ten-pound Class ABC fire extinguisher or hose connected to a sufficient water supply located nearby.
i. Burning permits valid only on day(s) specified in the permit.
j. No burning of any material(s) brought from outside of property for which the permit was issued.
k. No burning by incinerator services or any other party accepting refuse to burn.
l. No burning on a non-residential site. No commercial burning is permitted.
m. Burn barrels are prohibited.
n. If your fire gets out of control, you will be liable for all expenses incurred in suppressing the fire and will be responsible for all damages caused by the fire.
o. Prior to each burning episode, the owner shall contact the St. Croix County Communications Center for permission to burn.
p. It is the permit holder’s responsibility to know whether a burning ban is in effect and no burning may take place during a burning ban.
(2) This subsection shall not apply to:
a. Cooking fires constructed in barbeque grills for the purpose of residential cooking unless an applicable ban has been posted or published as allowed by law. Cooking fires shall only consist of clean wood, charcoal, or other combustible products designed for cooking.
b. Outdoor fires in compliance with Ordinance No. 38-8.
(3) Fees for burning permits, if any, shall be as set from time to time by resolution of the Board and as published in the Village fee schedule.
(c) Noncompliance. Noncompliance with this subsection shall result in fire suppression costs which may include citations under Village Code Section 1-11 as well as other penalties and fines that may be imposed by village code or state law.
(d) Suspension or Revocation. Permits may be temporarily suspended or revoked at anytime at the discretion of the Fire Chief or his designee if the Fire Chief or his designee determines that the fire constitutes a danger to the public or property.
Sec. 38-8. - Fire pits.
Guidelines for building and using fire pits are as follows:
(1) The diameter of the fire pit may not exceed three feet.
(2) Depth of the pit should be one to two feet maximum.
(3) Rim of the pit should be lined with sufficient metal, rock, concrete or brick to withstand burn through of the material.
(4) Fire pit must be 20 feet from structures.
(5) While using the fire pit, it must be supervised at all times.
(6) A fire extinguisher or hose must be available at all times.
(7) Only clean, untreated, unpainted wood, clean yard waste or charcoal may be used for fuel; (by way of example, the following may not be burned: any recyclable material, tires, rags, oil stained materials, garbage or rubbish of any kind, rubber or plastics of any kind, hazardous or toxic waste, flammable or combustible liquids or gasses, flammable metals of any kind, or leather. This is not intended to be an exhaustive list.)
(8) Fires must be attended by a person over the age of 18. Make sure the fire is out before you leave the area.
(9) Freestanding fireplaces are also legal to use. Follow subsections (4)—(8) when using them. Also have the unit on a noncombustible surface such as a patio, green grass, sidewalk, etc. These units may not be used on wooden decks.
(10)The Fire Chief may issue a burning ban at any time due to weather conditions or other hazardous conditions that may exist. No burning, including within a fire pit, may take place during a burning ban. It is the responsibility of anyone intending to have a fire to verify if there is a burning ban in effect.
Sec. 38-10. - Responsibility for cost of fire calls.
The owner of any structure, vacant land, vehicle or any other property which requires a fire call response shall be responsible for any and all costs associated with the fire call based upon the actual amount billed to the Village by the service providers. This includes any costs charged to the Village by other departments or providers responding at the request of an authorized department. Any unpaid costs may be placed on the tax roll as a special charge.
Rev 7/14
