For your enjoyment, the City of
Mendota
Heights allows recreational fires. In the early 1990s, the City instituted
a permit requirement for all open burning. Our ordinance was amended
in January 1998 to allow recreational fires without a formal permit.
The City of Mendota Heights is evaluating a rules change on
recreational fires that would no longer require you to call in your
recreational fire before you start one.
Previous to this, you were required to call the public safety dispatcher
to report that you were having a recreational fire. This helped prevent
an unnecessary call-out of the fire department.
The change is being tested for one year at the request of the City
of West St. Paul who provides our dispatching services. They indicated
that compliance has been so good with the requirement that at times it
can overload the dispatcher on duty. You must still comply with the
following regulations:
*Fires must be extinguished within 3 hours after they are started, but
not
later than 11PM.
*Use clean and dry wood only (no refuse, grass, leaves, logs over 3
inches in diameter, paper, garbage or other combustibles.)
*The size of the fire cannot be more than 3 feet in diameter, and flames
must not reach a height in excess of 3 feet.
*No fire shall be within 20 feet of any building or structure.
*A means of extinguishment must be in the immediate area of the fire.
*No fire shall be started or maintained in dry conditions or winds over
15 MPH
*Recreational fires must be constantly attended by a competent person
until the fire has been completely extinguished.
*The Fire Chief or his representative is authorized to prohibit,
suspend,
or further restrict all fires should atmospheric, drought, wind, state
or
local circumstance or conditions warrant or dictate such action.
Violation
of any of these regulations may result in the issuance of a citation.
The test will begin immediately and continue through June of 2004
when it will be re-evaluated. If you have questions regarding these
regulations, call Fire Marshal Paul Kaiser at (651)452-1850.
Please use common sense and reasonable effort to minimize
the impact on your neighbors. To many, there is no more enjoyable way
to spend a beautiful evening than sitting by a fire and visiting with
friends. Enjoy yourself, be safe, and be respectful of your neighbors.
• Recreational Fire Permits
• Fire Prevention Open
House
• Firefighters' Dance
