Open burn restrictions take effect Friday

Tuesday, Feb. 12 | By Mark Grandstaff

Virginia's 4 p.m. burning law goes into effect Friday.

According to the Department of Forestry, the law restricts burn piles each year to the hours between 4 p.m. and midnight, from Feb. 15 until April 30.

The burn law was enacted because the combination of high winds during this time period, and vegetation dried and cured over the winter, makes for the potential of fire spreading out of control, according to a release from the Department of Forestry.

To notify Fauquier firefighters about a burn pile, call the Fauquier County Communications Office at (540) 347-1313 before beginning a controlled burn. If a resident is preparing a large-scale burning operation, they should call DFREM's administrative office at (540) 422-8800.

The notification process helps residents burn safely and keeps firefighters from tying up resources in answering emergency calls that turn out to be supervised burns, said Danica Low, DFREM administrative assistant.

"We want to help people get done what they need to get done in a safe manner," Low said. "We don't want to impede their progress, we just want to make sure everything is done safely."

For more information, visit DFREM's website here. To read the full text of the state's 4 p.m. burn law, click here.

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