On Monday evening, the West Windsor Selectboard voted unanimously to adopt a new outdoor burning ordinance proposed by West Windsor Fire Chief Erik Boedtker. This ordinance comes in the wake of an intense drought season, a current burn ban issued by the state, and a recent fire on Mount Ascutney.
Boedtker addressed the selectboard Monday night, stating, “The state of Vermont has issued a statewide policy on burning, which includes a one-stage ban that shuts down all permits, or the ability for fire wardens to issue permits. What it does not allow for is different stages of bans on burning. As a result, most towns are discussing a redefined ordinance that establishes [several] stages of burning. Most states within the country operate by a three-stage system. This proposal is based off [those] recommendations.”
Boedtker elaborated that stage one of the ordinance would resemble an advisory stage, complete with increased inspections, safety guidelines, and the need for a permit for those wishing to burn outdoors. Stage two would be the “restrictive stage,” as Boedtker put it, stating, “Evoking this stage would shut down campfires, small fires, recreational fire pits, and other things of that nature. It would also shut down all burn permits.”
“Stage three would be the most severe,” Boedtker told the board Monday night. “It would restrict outdoor cooking, outdoor smoking, the use of outdoor power tools and equipment that could produce sparks, propane and charcoal grills, and all open flame devices. With climate change and the environmental devastation we are seeing now, this is a very dangerous fire season for us this fall. I think we need to implement these systems at the town level, instead of waiting for the state to respond.”
The ordinance will allow for either the fire chief or fire warden to implement the ban/stage of restriction at their discretion.
Boedtker told the Standard that the ordinance allows for local enforcement and that the restriction will be streamlined through the fire chief and fire warden. “A fire that is started or an action that occurs that goes against the outlined stage bans would result in an offense and would be enforced in accordance with other town ordinances — through the use of the police department, as well as neighborhood surveillance and community support.” He added, “The current ban structure operates on the state level, not district or county-wide. Due to changing weather conditions and environmental differences within the state, the town fire warden and I felt that it was best to implement an ordinance that could be more specific to the weather conditions we are experiencing in the town of West Windsor. With this ordinance, we do not have to wait for the state to issue a burn ban and instead can act quickly and responsibly to keep our town safe.”
Boedtker emphasized during his conversation with the Standard that this three-tier ban system will be used sparingly. It is meant as a precaution to be used only in dire circumstances. “I am not interested in keeping people from using their grills or enjoying a campfire. The ordinance is structured to ensure that when conditions are as bad as they currently are, a plan is in place to keep our residents safe and to mitigate the risk of fire.”
The ordinance regulating outdoor burning is slated to go into effect after a standard 60-day waiting period for any appeals.
For more on this, please see our September 25 edition of the Vermont Standard.
