Materials that are NOT allowed to be burned

The Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ) rules for materials burned in your woodstove or Fireplace.

  

468A.467 Prohibition on burning certain materials in solid fuel burning devices. A person may not cause or allow any of the following materials to be burned in a solid fuel burning device, a masonry heater, a pellet stove, a trash burner or any device described in ORS 468A.485

 

(4)(b):

      (1) Garbage;

      (2) Treated wood;

      (3) Plastic or plastic products;

      (4) Rubber or rubber products;

      (5) Animal carcasses;

      (6) Products that contain asphalt;

      (7) Waste petroleum products;

      (8) Paint;

      (9) Chemicals;

      (10) Paper or paper products, except for paper used to kindle a fire; or

      (11) Any other materials described in rules adopted by the commission. [2009 c.387 §6]

 

CHAPTER 406

KLAMATH COUNTY CLEAN AIR ORDINANCE

 

(6)    PROHIBITED MATERIALS - Any combustible material as defined by the State’s prohibited materials open burning rule which include wet garbage, plastic, wire insulation, automobile parts, asphalt, petroleum product, petroleum treated material, rubber products, animal remains, or animal or vegetable matter resulting from the handling, preparation, cooking, or service of food that normally results in dense or noxious smoke when burned. Also included are coal and any open burned materials that cause a public or private nuisance or a hazard to public safety.

 

406.400 Penalties. 

Failure to comply with the provisions of this Chapter shall be subject to fines of up to $720.00 for a one-time occurrence, and fines of not more than $1,000.00 for a continuing or repeated offense. 

This provision will be enforced in accordance with Chapter 800, Uniform Civil Violation Procedure of the Klamath County Code.

Fall Open Burning Window Ends

The Klamath County Air Quality 2013 Fall Open Burning Windows ends at 5:00pm Sunday November 3, 2013.

 

Ø  The 2013 Fall Open Burning Window within the Klamath County Air Quality Zone ends at 5:00 pm Sunday, November 3, 2013.  After Sunday November 3, 2013, Open or Outdoor burning within the Air Quality Zone will be prohibited.

Ø  Residents will have additional opportunities to dispose of yard debris during the “Klamath County Fall Clean-up Day” on Saturday November 2, 2013.  On that day, brush, wood, leaves and mulch will be accepted at the county landfill (off Old Fort Road) and at the transfer stations for no fee.

Ø  Outside the Air Quality Zone the open or outdoor burning of domestic wastes, such as tree limbs, brush, leaves and needles, and Agricultural Burning directly related to the management and harvesting of crops or land used for livestock grazing is allowed only on “GREEN” days and by following the rules of the Oregon Department of Environmental Quality, the Oregon Department of Forestry and those of the local Fire District. Call 882-BURN for the color advisory prior to burning each day.

Ø  The burning of plastic, tar, petroleum products, treated or painted wood is prohibited.

Ø  The burning of construction, demolition, industrial or commercial wastes required a special permit from the Oregon Department of Environmental Quality.  The phone number for the DEQ in Bend is 541-388-6146.

Ø  A map showing the boundaries of the Air Quality Zone (AQZ) is available on the Klamath County Web site at:   http://www.co.klamath.or.us. 

No Open or Outdoor Burning Allowed Today

Toady, October 24, is a yellow day.




On yellow (and red) days, open and outdoor burning is prohibited everywhere in Klamath County.

If you live inside the air quality zone, you may only use your certified wood burning appliances or pellet stoves today.

Thank you for helping keep clean air available for all of us to breathe.

FALL 2013 OPEN BURNING WINDOW

As allowed by the Klamath County Air Quality Ordinance, the 2013 Fall Open Burning Window within the Klamath County Air Quality Zone will start on Saturday, October 19, 2013 at 8:00 a.m. and will end Sunday, November 3, 2013 at 5:00 pm.

 
Public Health requirements for clean air are:

1.                   The Air Quality Advisory must be “GREEN”. Find out the day’s advisory by calling 541-882-BURN (2876).

2.                   Only residential yard waste, such as tree limbs, brush, and leaves may be burned.

3.                   All burning must occur between 8:00 am and 5:00 pm and be fully extinguished by 5:00 pm.

4.                   No plastic, rubber, tar, petroleum products, treated or painted wood may be burned.

5.                   The use of Burn Barrels is prohibited.

6.                   The burning of commercial, construction, demolition or industrial waste is not included in this burn window.  Burning for these purposes requires a special permit from the Oregon Department of Environmental Quality; contact Bonnie Hough at the DEQ office in Bend at (541) 633-2016.

7.                   Agricultural burning inside the Air Quality Zone is prohibited without a certificate of variance.

 

Fire District requirements for public safety are:

1.       The wind must be between 4 to 10 mph. For wind speed call 883-8127.

2.       There must be a pressurized water hose at the fire site at all times.

3.       A responsible adult must be present at the fire from the first flame until the fire is extinguished.

4.       The burn pile shall be no larger than 6 feet in diameter and 4 feet high.

5.       There must be a six-foot clear area surrounding the base of the pile and the pile must be at least 20 feet from combustible fences and buildings.

6.       The person conducting any burning is responsible for damage and the cost of an out of control burn as well as traffic problems and other hazards caused by the smoke.

 

The Open Burning Window may be cancelled at any time due to Air Quality or Fire Hazard conditions.

Check with your local Fire District or the City of Klamath Falls (inside the city limits) for additional restrictions.

 

Klamath County Fire District #1     885-2056                     Klamath County Fire District 4                            884-1670

Klamath County Environmental Health   883-1122         City of Klamath Falls Code Enforcement       883-5358

Oregon's Heat Smart Program

If you have an uncertified woodstove in your home or are looking to buy a home with an uncertified woodstove, it is important to remember that upon sale of the home the uncertified woodstove must be removed. This is Oregon law.   

It is unlawful to sell, offer to sell, or give away an uncertified stove.

Selling a house with a woodstove?

If you are selling or purchasing a home with a woodstove or fireplace insert you must ensure the woodstove is certified prior to sale of the home. If it is not certified, the stove must be removed, decommissioned and reported to DEQ.

Examples of Certification Labels

Either an Oregon DEQ or a U.S. EPA certification label on the stove means the stove is emissions certified. A UL safety certification label does not mean the stove is certified.

What devices are not required to be removed?

• Fireplaces
• Pellet stoves
• Antique stoves
• Cook stoves
• Masonry heaters
• Central wood-fired furnaces

Submitting notification to DEQ that you removed an uncertified stove?

Click on the appropriate link below to fill out the electronic form. You don't have to submit the actual receipt to DEQ - just keep it for your records and for reporting online. Once you've completed the online form, you'll receive immediate confirmation from DEQ and you're done!

If you cannot submit your information online, please contact the DEQ at (503) 229-5359 to obtain a paper reporting form.

Need Help disposing of the uncertified stove?

• Potential places to take your uncertified stove
• Example disposal receipt (you can use this form to document destruction of the stove – but you must still notify DEQ that you’ve removed the stove)

Additional Questions?

Questions that we hear most often regarding the requirements.

Check out this Fact Sheet: What You Should Know About Selling or Buying a Home with a Woodstove

YELLOW DAY

The AQ Advisory from noon Tuesday October 22, 2013 until Noon on Wednesday

October 23, 2013 is YELLOW.   No outdoor burning is allowed county wide.

 

 

The YELLOW advisory call means:

 

WITHIN THE AQ ZONE, ONLY CERTIFIED WOODSTOVEs, PELLET STOVES AND CERTIFIED FIREPLACE INSERTS MAY BE USED.

 

WITHIN THE AQ ZONE THE USE OF NON-CERTIFIED WOODSTOVEs OR FIREPLACES is PROHIBITED. 

 

OUTSIDE THE AQ ZONE, ALL WOODSTOVES, PELLET STOVES AND FIREPLACES MAY BE USED.

 

OUTDOOR OR OPEN BURNING IS PROHIBITED COUNTY WIDE

 

GREEN DAY

The 2013 Fall Open Burning Window within the Klamath County Air Quality Zone began Saturday, October 19, 2013 at 8:00 a.m. and will end Sunday at 5:00 pm

November 3, 2013. The Air Quality Advisory must be “GREEN”. Only residential yard waste, such as tree limbs, brush, and leaves may be burned.

 

THE AQ ADVISORY FROM NOON Monday October 21, 2013 TO NOON, Tuesday

October 22, 2013 IS GREEN.

 

WITHIN THE AQ ZONE, ALL WOODSTOVES, PELLET STOVES AND FIREPLACES MAY BE USED.

 

 

Ø  OUTDOOR OR OPEN BURNING IS ALLOWED COUNTYWIDE.

 

You are required to follow the Fire District’s instructions for outdoor burning:

 

1.            The burn pile shall be no larger than 6 feet in diameter and 4 feet high.

2.            There must be a six-foot clear area surrounding the base of the pile and the pile must be at least 20 feet from combustible fences and buildings.

3.            There must be a pressurized water hose at the fire site at all times.