Practice Training Fires for Firefighter Suppression and Technique Factsheet

Fire Districts may have on occasion the need to conduct practice fires for training purposes using structures on the Colville Reservation. This fact sheet provides information and the process for obtaining permission to do so.

The permission process results from the need to provide a means for notification to protect human health and conform to the Clean Air Act and the Federal Air Rules for Reservations. Compliance and penalties will apply to practice fires conducted without prior permission. The responsible person for the fire protection agency determines how to conduct the practice fire and the skills that will be taught during the event.

Several tasks and conditions must be met before permission will be granted. These involve the protection of human health and compliance with Tribal and Federal codes.

Substances that must be removed before conducting a fire include: Asbestos containing material (see side bar); batteries, stored chemicals such as pesticides, herbicides, fertilizers, paints, glues, sealer, tares, solvents, household cleaners, or photographic reagents; stored linoleum, plastics, rubber, tires, insulted wire; or hazardous wastes. The responsible party for the fire protection service must certify these materials are not present.

Practice fires should only be ignited when favorable weather conditions are present. These include conditions that foster column formation for smoke, no inversion present or any condition that keeps emissions at ground level.

Information needed to issue permission to conduct a practice fire

1. Name of Fire Protection Service

2. Authority of person requesting permission, name and title

3. Mailing address

4. Email

5. Phone number

6. Date(s) of the training

7. Physical location(s) of the training (street address and parcel number), with location map

8. Contact information for the responsible party on the day of the training fire (e.g. cell phone number)

9. Proof of property owner permission

10. Objectives of practice fire

11. Asbestos NESHAPS form

12. CTCR waste disposal plan for site cleanup and debris disposal

13. A statement that the requestor has read and understands the open burning requirements in 40 CFR Part 49, Section 131 or CTCR factsheet.

Asbestos

Asbestos and asbestos containing material must be removed from the structure prior to permission being granted for use as a training fire. The fire protection service must provide proof that asbestos or asbestos containing material have been surveyed for and abated if present. Documentation of the survey and abatement report must be furnished to the Air Quality Program.

A Notification of Demolition and Renovation form must accompany the asbestos survey and abatement reports. This form can be found at here: https://archive.epa.gov/region02/capp/web/pdf/asbestosnotificationformff.pdf

Example of Asbestos containing materials:

• Asbestos shingle siding

• Old floor tiles and linoleum-type floor sheeting

• Old tar paper

• Old drywall/wallboard

• Old composition roofing

• Vermiculite insulation

• Pipe insulation

• Some knob and tube wiring

• “Popcorn” textured ceilings

• Wall and ceiling insulation

Asbestos is not destroyed by fire, only the binding material is. Exposure to asbestos increases the risks of lung disease. Symptoms may take many years to develop following exposure.

What is Backyard Burning?
Backyard burning is the burning of natural vegetation and/or household trash by residents on their own property.

What Happens to the Smoke?
During air inversions, smoke from backyard burning doesn’t move off the reservation; it hangs around the home where the burn is happening and can often move over a neighbor’s home as well. This is especially dangerous for kids, elders, and people with asthma and other respiratory conditions. When smokes hangs in the air, it essentially traps people indoors who have vulnerable immune systems, making it very difficult for them to breathe.

What Can I Burn?

• Dry branches and twigs

• Plant pruning

• Shrubbery

• Weeds

What shouldn’t I Burn?
Leaves, Grass, Pine Needles: These don’t produce a hot fire, which means there will be lots of smoke. These items are also easily composted.
Wet material: Wet material will not be able to make a hot fire. The fire will produce lots of smoke.
Household Garbage: Burning trash re-leases deadly chemicals into the air. The chemicals will get into our land, food supply, and ultimately our bodies.

• Make sure that natural vegetation is dry; never burn trash

• Arrange the natural vegetation in a loose pile so that lots of air can circulate freely

• Remove all flammable material within a 10-foot range of the burn pile

• Never use burn barrels (they do not allow enough oxygen to get into the fire)

• Do not burn during an air inversion (October - March)

• Keep fire extinguishers nearby – such as water, a shovel, and sand – in case you need to put out your fire quickly

Burn Permits

Burn permit are required on the Colville Indian Reservation. For a burn permits contact Mount Tolman Fire Center at (509) 634-3100.
For burn permits for the cities of:
Omak – You must get a burn permit from the fire station at 16 North Ash Street.
Okanogan – You must get a burn permit from City Hall at 120 3rd Avenue North.
For other cities contact your local City Hall for information.
You’re never permitted to burn during wildfire season (June – October) or when a burn ban for health reasons is in effect during inversion season (October – March).

Burn Alternatives

• Compost

• Chipping

• Take advantage of green waste pick up services, such as City of Okanagan Spring & Fall Clean-Up Days

• Take waste to a landfill (Okanogan County: Okanogan Central Landfill, 509-422-2602, 240 B&O Road North)

Who Should I Call if the Fire Gets Out of Control?

• Mount Tolman Fire Center 509-634-3100

• Tribal Police 509-634-2482 or Emergency 911

Health & Wellness

Don’t risk our reservation and our health by burning at home. It’s just not worth it.

Remember how bad the air was when we had all those wildfires during the summer of 2015?

All outdoor burnings – from wildfires to backyard burns – release poisonous chemicals into the air. These chemicals harm our bodies and our environment.

The particles in fire smoke are damaging to your health. They aggravate conditions like asthma, emphysema, and can cause rashes, nausea, or headaches.

Even a small amount of smoke can affect kids’ and elders’ ability to breathe.
Backyard burns that get out of control can become wildfires.

Suggested Dry Times for Various Materials

It’s crucial that the material you choose to burn is as dry as possible.

Up to 2 inches in diameter | dry time 30 days
2 - 6 inches in diameter | dry time 60 days
Over 6 inches in diameter | dry time 180 days

Backyard Burning PDF

Outdoor Burn Ban and Air Quality Pollution Action Levels Facts

Aug, 2024: Currently there are no burn bans on the Colville Reservation.

Outside burning during some periods of the year needs to be limited because of the negative affect on people’s health. Smoke from fires is composed of fine particulate matter (PM2.5) that when breathed in stay in the lungs.

Burn bans may be declared if the local air quality monitor concentrations levels are 75% of the National Ambient Air Quality Standards (NAAQS) and these levels are expected to continue for 24 hours or more. The NAAQS standard concentration is 35 μg/m3 (micrograms per cubic meter) making 75% of that 26 μg/m3.

Burn bans are typically called between October 1 and the end of February and are usually related to weather conditions know as inversions. When warm air lies on top of cold air, functionally capping it, any air pollution is trapped at or near ground level. Inversions maybe localized in valley bottoms, or over large areas such as Eastern Washington

Know where the smoke you produce ends up. Smoke from backyard debris piles appears to go straight up when you are standing next to it. In reality smoke does go up for a short distance then tends to move with the prevailing wind and drop back to ground levels several blocks or even miles away. The people at that location may be at risk for health problems due to increased PM2.5. Burning wet leaves produces large quantities of smoke and smells up your neighborhood

Materials that are intended to be burned must be clean dry natural vegetation. You should cover any piles if you intend to burn after rain or snow occurs. All noncombustible material must be removed, such as dirt, rocks and garbage.
Air pollution episodes are also brought on by stagnant air, wildfires and other events that produce large quantities of air pollutants which cause the buildup near where people live. These action levels will inform people so they can modify their behavior and not experience health problems

Note: Cultural and Traditional fires are exempt from these rules.
Outdoor Burn Bans do not include restrictions of wood stove use for heating homes.

Air Stagnation Advisory - The most common pollution episode usually occurring between October and February when inversions form in valley bottoms. People should consider limiting their outdoor activity if they have lung and heart disease, diabetes, a current respiratory infection and those who have had a stroke.

Air Pollution Alert – When the expected 24 hour average is 55.5 to 150 μg/m3. Everyone should try to limit their outdoor activity. People should stay indoors if they have lung and heart disease, diabetes, or a respiratory infection, those who have had a stroke, infants/children and adults older than 65.

Air Pollution Warning - When the expected 24 hour average is 150.5 to 250 μg/m3. Everyone should try to stay indoors. Shut your windows and doors if it is not too hot. Set air conditioners to “recirculate” if possible. Minimize all outdoor activities

Air Pollution Emergency - When the expected 24 hour average is 250 μg/m3 or higher. Everyone should try to stay indoors and limit their physical activity. Shut windows and doors. If it is too hot, set air conditioners to “recirculate” if possible. If windows and doors cannot be shut, consider leaving the area until air quality improves.

All open burning (except cultural and traditional fires) is prohibited during an air pollution alert, air pollution warning, or air pollution emergency. Many times this coincides with safety burn bans during wildlife season

What Cannot be burned
Garbage, Dead Animals, Junked Motor Vehicles, Tires or Rubber Materials, Plastics, Plastic Products or Styrofoam, Asphalt or Composition Roofing, Tar, Tar paper, Petroleum Products, Paints, Lumber or Timbers Treated with Preservatives, Construction Debris, Pesticides, Herbicides, Fertilizers or other Chemicals, Insulated Wire, Batteries, Light Bulbs, Mercury Containing Material, Asbestos or Material Containing Asbestos, Pathogenic Wastes, Hazardous Wastes, Any Item that Emits Dense Smoke or Noxious Fumes

What Can be burned
Natural Vegetation, Paper and Cardboard from Homes

"Fires must not smolder, smoldering fire produces large quantities of smoke"

Air pollution concentrations for the Colville Reservation and surrounding area can be viewed on these websites:
Omak area - https://fortress.wa.gov/ecy/enviwa/Default.ltr.aspx
Nespelem and Inchelium - http://67.205.96.124/airvision/
All areas - http://www.airnow.gov/index.cfm?action=airnow.local_state

Burn Ban Fact Sheet PDF

Press Release on Burn Ban link

Federal Air Rules for Reservations (FARR) pdf

Agricultural Burn Permit PDF