Backyard Fire Ordinance Working Well, Ferndale Fire Chief Says

A new ordinance that allows backyard fires in Ferndale has had "no negative downsides," Fire Chief Kevin Sullivan said Thursday.

The Ferndale City Council approved the open burning ordinance in October that allows for backyard fires, which had been illegal, as long as residents get a permit and follow certain guidelines.

"It's going very well," said Sullivan, who expects an increase in permit applications as the weather warms. "There have been no negative downsides as of yet."

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Sullivan said he believes the new ordinance provides a safe and legal way for residents to enjoy backyard fires and provides more control and enforceability. 

“People are still burning, but there are less calls and less neighborhood disputes,” he said.

Under the new ordinance, residents must apply for a burning permit and pay a one-time $25 fee.

Residents also must follow these rules:

• The patio wood-burning unit or campfire shall not be used to burn refuse.
• The patio wood-burning unit or campfire shall burn only clean wood.
• The patio wood-burning unit or campfire shall be located at least 20 feet from the nearest structure which is not on the same property as the patio wood-burning unit and at least 15 feet from the nearest structure on the same property as the patio wood-burning unit.
• The patio wood-burning unit or campfire shall not cause a nuisance to neighbors.
• Operational hours for any patio wood-burning unit or campfire shall be limited to the time between 11 a.m. and 1 a.m.
• All fires shall be supervised by at least one person who is 18 years of age or older.
• There shall be at minimum a garden hose connected to a reliable water supply, 1 gallon bucket of water, or a 2a10BC rated fire extinguisher with 20 feet of any open burning.

Not all residents who apply for a burning permit get one, according to Sullivan.

"We have run into a few people who don't qualify, who just don't have big enough yards," he said.

The Ferndale fire chief sees the use of permits as a form of public education.

“People were always asking why, why why? Why is there a ban? Now we let them do it, but we control it," Sullivan said.

The new permit system doesn't mean you can burn a couch and have a flame 30-feet tall in your backyard that jeopardizes your neighborhood, Sullivan said.

"Residents know the guidelines. It’s a better system,” he said.

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