ROANOKE TIMES 
                      Copyright (c) 1996, Roanoke Times

DATE: Wednesday, September 11, 1996          TAG: 9609130063
SECTION: VIRGINIA                 PAGE: C-1  EDITION: METRO 
SOURCE: CHRISTINA NUCKOLS STAFF WRITER 

COUNTY MAY MANDATE FIRE PERMITS PROPOSAL BEING CONSIDERED WOULD INCLUDE RURAL AREAS

Farmers and other residents in rural sections of Roanoke County may soon be required to have permits to burn piles of leaves and brush, much as people in subdivisions have needed for years.

Since 1985, the Virginia Department of Environmental Quality has required permits for open-air burning in urban areas, but allowed residents in rural areas to burn without permits as long as they obeyed all fire safety laws. In April, however, the state stopped issuing the permits and notified localities they would have to assume enforcement.

Roanoke and Salem city residents aren't affected because both cities had already passed their own ordinances, which are more restrictive than state law and prohibit all household burning of leaves or debris. But the county, which had relied on the state permitting system, must now come up with its own regulations. Rural residents may continue to burn debris during the interim period, but those living in urban areas must wait until the new regulations are passed.

"The state has said, 'Unless you adopt an ordinance in the urban areas there will be no burnings, period,''' said Fire Marshal Donald Gillispie.

Gillispie presented a proposal at Tuesday's meeting of the Roanoke County Board of Supervisors that called for eliminating the distinction between urban and rural zones and requiring a $25 permit for any county resident seeking permission for an open fire.

Supervisors quickly shot down the idea of a fee.

"It's not the least bit popular with the people of the Catawba Valley," said Catawba Supervisor Spike Harrison.

Earl Sirry, a Catawba farmer who was not at Tuesday's meeting, said Monday that permits were not reasonable for rural parts of the county.

"I think that would be a wrong thing to have over here," he said. "We have a lot more stuff to burn. They may just have leaves in the urban areas."

A violation of burning laws could result in a fine of between $10 and $100, although Gillispie said he has never had to impose such punishments.

"No first offenders would end up going to court," he said. "We'd educate them."

Gillispie said permits could still be required for the entire county without the fees, and he proposed placing applications at local fire stations for easy access. He said eliminating the distinction between urban and rural zones will take care of complaints that occur along the border in which a homeowner on one side of the road needs a permit and a neighbor on the other side does not. It also would improve safety by letting local fire companies know when and where burnings are occurring.

The number of state permits issued in Roanoke County has averaged 132 for the past two years, Gillispie said. He predicted the number could triple if rural areas are included. Fire and Rescue Chief Richard Burch said handling the permitting process will cost his department about $5,000, which would go toward hiring a part-time secretary. The intent of the permit fee was to cover that cost, he said.

A $25 fee is already charged for other types of open burnings, including bonfires and fires on construction sites, Gillispie said.

LENGTH: Medium:   62 lines
ILLUSTRATION: GRAPHIC:  Map by staff: Open burning zones. color.