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Warning issued after construction materials burned

Salmon Arm Fire Department emphasizes it is illegal to burn scraps from building sites
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About 8:45 on Saturday morning, March 23, Salmon Arm firefighters extinguish an illegal fire burning scrap materials next to a house under construction on 19th Avenue SE in Salmon Arm. The new subdivision sits atop a cleared hill in the vicinity of MayFair Farms on 20th Avenue SE. (Martha Wickett/Salmon Arm Observer)

No burning of construction materials.

A man working on a new home being built in the southeast portion of Salmon Arm heard that message loud and clear Saturday morning.

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With sirens blaring, firefighters and fire trucks responded to a report of a residential fire on 19th Avenue SE about 8:30 a.m. March 23.

When they arrived, they found a pile of scrap materials being burned outside the structure. The house was intact.

Burning construction materials is not legal, reminds Salmon Arm Fire Chief Brad Shirley.

“It was not a permitted burn. You can’t get a permit for such a thing.”

Read more: Early morning fire destroys Tappen home

He says burning permits are not issued for construction sites, because the materials being burnt are typically plywoods with glues and other similar products. Such materials must be taken to the landfill.

Shirley explains that campfire permits are issued for small fires – no larger than 30 centimetres in diameter - which must burn clean, dry, seasoned firewood.

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There is also an ‘incidental’ backyard burning category for one month in both spring and fall, March 15 to April 15 as well as the month of October. That category applies only to properties of 0.99 of an acre or larger and is intended for burning branches and brush.

As for the fire Saturday morning, which was quickly extinguished by firefighters, Shirley says a warning was given but no ticket.

“That’s not to say we haven’t given out tickets before, but it appeared they weren’t aware of the bylaw,” he explained.


@SalmonArm
marthawickett@saobserver.net

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Martha Wickett

About the Author: Martha Wickett

came to Salmon Arm in May of 2004 to work at the Observer. I was looking for a change from the hustle and bustle of the Lower Mainland, where I had spent more than a decade working in community newspapers.
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