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Published Thursday, October 02, 2008 in Opinion

If you're planning outdoor burning, make sure you are doing it legally, safely

Editorial

As the first weekend in October nears, let's contemplate outdoor burning. The outdoor burning ban for Coweta County and 53 other Georgia counties that goes into effect May 1 is lifted on Oct. 1. This will be the first weekend for outdoor burning in five months. Some of us may have plans to get outdoors, do some cleaning and burn debris.

Before you go outdoors and light the match, make sure you are doing it legally.

Here's the deal.

The Georgia Forestry Commission's Coweta office issues daily burning permits. The office reminds us the old annual burn permits are no longer valid. There are three ways to get a daily permit: 1. Call an automated phone line at 1-877-OK2-Burn (877-652-2876); 2. Go online at gatrees.org; 3. Call the local forestry office at 770-254-7217.

Even though the burn ban has been lifted, there is major concern about drought conditions in our area. It's extremely dangerous to burn when conditions are this dry, and winds and low cloud cover can make burning even more problematic.

Here's a warning. Forestry officials tell us Georgia has a three-strike rule regarding illegal burning. If you get three burning violations, you will be ticketed, fined and placed on a no-burn list. Also, if you burn without a permit and something goes wrong, you will be charged for any costs if the forestry unit has to intercede.

If you do get a permit and begin to burn, remember you should never leave a fire unattended. Always have a water source near the fire, and always burn small amounts of debris -- no huge piles. They are too dangerous.

The bottom line is this: If you burn, do it legally, take all the recommended precautions, and check in with the forestry office if there are questions or concerns.