Saxonburg fire chief advocates for burning ordinance in Clinton Township
CLINTON TWP — Christopher Dean, chief of Saxonburg Volunteer Fire Department, showed up at a Clinton Township agenda-setting meeting on Monday, Nov. 25, to advocate for a potential new ordinance which would address the open burning of leaves or waste by residents.
The issue came up at a board of supervisors meeting two weeks earlier during an extended period of low humidity, during which numerous brush fires were reported throughout Butler County.
“We had some concerns about some fires in the last month ... fires that were caused by the burning of leaves and trash,” said township supervisor Kathy Allen.
Dean noted that, due to the lack of a burning ordinance in Clinton Township, the Saxonburg Volunteer Fire Department and other volunteer fire departments that assist them have a reduced ability to extinguish leaf, trash and similar fires on private property.
“We’re allowed to come to the property and check it out,” Dean said. “But with no ordinance being in place, a township resident is allowed to ask the fire company to leave without putting the fire out, even if it’s endangering structures or property.”
According to Dean, Saxonburg and Jefferson Township already have burning ordinances and are in the fire department’s coverage area, while Clinton Township does not.
“I know nobody likes to hear it, but a burning ordinance is really helpful to the fire company,” Dean said. “It at least gives us a leg to stand on when we show up somewhere.”
If Clinton Township does implement a burning ordinance, it would not include a burn ban. Burn bans are distinct from the type of burn ordinance Clinton Township is considering and cannot be implemented at the local level in Pennsylvania.
According to Dean, a countywide burning ban can be implemented after at least 10 fire chiefs in the county make a petition to Pennsylvania’s Department of Conservation and Natural Resources.
Earlier this month, due to the dry weather, the DCNR issued a statewide ban on campfires in state parks and state forests, which was lifted on Friday, Nov. 22.
