Forestry Officials Urge Citizens to Obtain Burn Permits

Area forestry officials are reminding residents to obtain a burn permit for any planned burns as wildfire season begins Oct. 15.

Jim Dale is the Assistant District Forester for the Cumberland Forestry District. He said burn permits apply to those looking to burn woody debris during the fall and winter months.

“There are laws within the state that prohibit the burning of plastics, shingles, rubber, household items, things like that that should be disposed of at a county convenience center or the proper location,” Dale said. “It’s strictly for woody debris, leaves, limbs, brush piles, and things of that nature.”

Dale said typically a dry spell during the fall increases the chances of a wildfire. However, rainy weather could help reduce the chance of wildfires occurring for the time being.

“Our goal is to keep getting some periodic rainfall and leaves falling from the trees to hold the moisture in the soil,” Dale said. “If we can get that, we’re going to be in pretty good shape for the fall. That’s not to say we won’t have wildfire activity in the fall at all, we certainly will. It will certainly be less extreme, we hope, than what we had in the fall of 2016, for example.”

Dale said the fall isn’t the only time where areas are more susceptible to wildfires. He said dead or dried vegetation in the late winter and early spring period can also add fuel to wildfires.

“Dry fuels along with any kind of adverse weather can really cause some problems for us,” Dale said. “That’s one of the reasons we’re so adamant about permits before folks burn. We want to make sure we’re doing things right and we’re doing our part to educate them on proper debris burning.”

Dale said one of the most common mistakes people make when burning is leaving their fires unattended.

“Citizens will set fire to their leaf pile and they will leave, go into their home and watch TV, or they’ll go to town and go shopping,” Dale said, “or they may stand there and watch that debris burn up completely. However, just a little wind typically rekindles that. Often times the fire will leave that original burn pile and it’ll burn across the yard, into the woods, or onto a neighbor’s property.”

A burn permit can be obtained online through the Tennessee Department of Agriculture. Dale said anyone who lives within the city limits of Cookeville, for example, can obtain a burn permit through the city fire department.