Burn season sparks air concerns

As open-burning season arrives Tuesday, Flathead County Environmental Health Director Michael Meschke reminds people to remember the air before lighting a burn pile.

"We don't require a permit in March and April but we do require that people call the hotline," Meschke said.

The Air Quality Ventilation Hotline, 751-8144, provides the latest air quality update. During times of poor ventilation, the department may restrict burning for the sake of air quality.

Although Flathead County allows open burning, Meschke said people should use it as a last resort for disposing of brush.

"We want to get alternatives to the public and the landfill is a good one," he said.

The county landfill on U.S. 93 north of Kalispell accepts brush seven days a week from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. County residents may drop off brush for free.

If a commercial hauler brings the load, the landfill assesses a fee of about $30 a ton. Meschke estimates a dump-truck load would cost from $60 to $100.

At the landfill, a grinder turns the brush into chips which get hauled to Missoula for recycling into cardboard.

As a gardening enthusiast, Meschke suggests people also consider grinding the brush up to enrich the soil on their property.

"It helps retain the moisture and it's nutritious," he said.

For those without the equipment, local businesses have rental equipment available or offer grinding as one of their services.

If burning is the only reasonable alternative, Meschke reminds the public that regulations only allow burning brush of up to 3 inches in diameter - and nothing else.

"Lots of burn piles contain mixed waste and that's prohibited," he said. "It [burning] isn't a solid-waste management tool."

Prohibited materials include foam products, plywood, treated wood and anything else that isn't brush. Meschke said many of these items send hazardous chemicals into the air.

"Treated wood contains a cocktail of chemicals," he said.

He said that even wood smoke contains carbon monoxide as well as particles that aggravate and sicken people with compromised lungs and other health problems.

To limit smoke, Meschke said people should burn only dry brush for a hot fire that sends a plume of smoke into the upper atmosphere for the best ventilation. Wet wood smolders, causing smoke pollution for days.

Combined with dust, smoke from a fire season branded the Flathead Valley as a non-attainment area for minimum air standards in the late 1980s or early 1990s. The dubious distinction was conferred by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.

To keep pollution at bay, the state's Department of Environmental Quality monitors the Flathead Valley's air as one of five Air Pollution Control Districts in Montana. Devices sample air in Whitefish, Columbia Falls and Kalispell.

"The DEQ supports counties with air pollution control plans," Meschke said.

According to Meschke, the investment has paid off in cleaner air.

"We attained our goals for the last few years," he said.

The achievement results from a wide network of agencies interconnecting and communicating. A Smoke Monitoring Unit in Missoula plays an important role by tracking atmospheric conditions and coordinating industrial burns.

Montana and Idaho work together to control pollution in their airsheds while cutting down the fuel available for wildland fires.

"They try to spread out major burns," Meschke said.

The Air Quality Ventilation Hotline ties individual citizens into the same network.

"Within 12 to 24 hours, we will know if burning will close or be restricted," Meschke said.

Those who ignore burning-season rules face first a warning and then a referral to the county attorney if a second violation occurs.

Because some people continue to burn illegally, Flathead County health officer Joe Russell and the county attorney have rules and penalties under review.

"They are reviewing a 'no warning' policy for offenders," Meschke said.

If people notice a burning-season violation, they should call the environmental health department at 751-8130.

Reporter Candace Chase may be reached at 758-4436 or by e-mail at cchase@dailyinterlake.com.

Dry conditions raise fire fears

February's blue skies have local fire chiefs and wildland fire managers raising a red flag about fire safety when burning season begins on Tuesday.

The unusual lack of snow and rain mean that piles and fields will burn hotter and faster. Department of Natural Resource officials agree with county Environmental Health Director Michael Meschke.

"The safest way to dispose of material is to haul it away, but if you must burn, be extremely careful," DC Haas, fire program manager, said.

Haas also stressed that people must call the Air Quality Ventilation hotline at 751-8144 before lighting a burn pile.

Other safety tips include:

. Don't burn on windy days. Be aware that winds often pick up in the afternoon.

. Keep burn piles away from houses, dry grass and other debris piles that might ignite under these dry conditions.

. Burn only one pile at a time.

. Clear the area around the pile of all flammable material.

. Keep a hose connected to water and hand tools nearby.

. Have enough people on hand to manage the fire.

. Attend the fire until it is extinguished.

. Be prepared to put the fire out if it becomes difficult to manage.

If a fire escapes, the person responsible for the fire may have to pay suppression costs as well as any damages caused to neighboring properties.