Burning laws ignite as March begins in the Mountain State

Jessica Phillips
·2 min read

GHENT, WV (WVNS) — The first day of March marks the start of one of the forest fire seasons in West Virginia, and a burning law will go into effect.

March 1 through May 31 and October 1 through December 31 are West Virginia’s forest fire seasons. During these dates, a burning law will go into effect that specify burning times.

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According to the burning law, no burning can occur from 7:00 a.m. until 5:00 p.m., if burning does take place then it needs to be after 5:00 p.m. and before 7:00 a.m. Violation of the burning law can result in up to a $1,000 fine.

The burning law also state that fires need to be watched at all times, and any fires need to be completely out before 7:00 a.m. Areas around the fire must have a safety strip, which consists of a minimum 10-foot wide area around the fire that is down to the soil and clear of burnable materials. If the fire goes past the safety strip, the person responsible for the fire will be guilty of a misdemeanor.

If a fire escapes a person’s control, the person, firm, or corporation will be responsible for any damage that the fire may cause for other people, as well as costs that come from fighting the fire.

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Any power shovels, sawmills, engines, or machines that could create sparks will need to have a sufficient spark arrestor when running on land subject to fire. Inflammable waste areas on any land also need to be cleared of flammable and inflammable materials near disposal areas to give protection and keep any fires from spreading to nearby areas.

There are some exceptions to the burn law guidelines that include: small fires meant for preparing food, warmth, or light, with a 10 foot area around the fire being cleared of burnable debris, and burning that occurs when there is minimum of one inch of snow around the burn area.

The Division of Forestry can issue commercial permits to burn during restricted times.

Committing arson is a felony offense, and is punishable by fines and/or jail time. The West Virginia Arson Hotline is 1-800-233-FIRE.

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