INFORMATION #1 12-04-1995INFOMWATION
I it y of V
1k;F1Ri*verT0:
FROM:
MEMORANDUM
Mayor & City Council
Bruce A. West
Fire Chief Fk
DATE: November 20, 1995
SUBJECT: Fire Department Training and
Department Practice Burn Policy
At this time I would like to update you on the Fire Department's policy of
practice burns within our responding area. Our Fire Department receives
many requests from property owners in our responding area to burn down
buildings because of the expense in demolishing and removing them. All
training should have a burn plan or be done as per guidelines in the
structural burn training manual for the Minnesota Technical College
System. A permit must be obtained from the Minnesota Department of
• Natural Resources 14 days prior to the actual burn training to be conducted.
We attempt to be very selective in the buildings to be used, using location,
safety, building structure, water supply, and others as criteria for selection
for the proposed burn site.
We also have a liability agreement form that the owner and city must sign to
release the property to the Fire Department (see attached agreement). If we
are in an area where neighbors could be affected, we would make every effort
possible to notify the neighborhood of the pending practice burn. We
currently are entering into an agreement with Shiely Masonry Products for a
practice burn house located off of Highway 169 across from the Shiely
Products Gravel Pit. It is an ideal location for a practice burn as it is located
approximately 500 -600 feet east of Highway 169. It is in a secluded and
secure area from any public access. We will be having the agreement signed
by Shiely Products and after the agreement is signed, we plan on doing some
practice burns possibly at our December's training drill. The drill for
December is scheduled for December 14, 1995. Accepting and using houses
for practice burns in the future will depend on location, safety of the
structure, and what type of area the potential practice burn site is in.
If you have any questions or concerns regarding our burn policy, please
contact me at the Elk River Fire Department.
• s: \admin\letters \burn.doc
13065 Orono Parkway • P.O. Box 490 • Elk River, MN 55330 • (612) 441 -7420 • Fax: (612) 441 -7425