Boise (670 KBOI News) – All right…fire season is over, so it’s a great time to go out and just burn all those leaves you raked up, right?
Not necessarily so, says Michael Toole of the Idaho Department of Environmental Quality.
He says true, the wildfire smoke is gone, but smoke from crop residue burn-offs and slash pile fires can really affect air quality in the fall.
“If you’re going to burn crop residue, any kind of active animal pasture, cornfield, wheat field, what have you, ag related, there is a permit program through Idaho DEQ that is required,” said Toole. “So I recommend any grower, if you’re not aware, please call the local DEQ office, you can go online with the website.”
That website is DEQ.idaho.gov.
If you’re clearing out your garden or have a slash pile of leaves built up, Toole says before you burn, call your fire department.
Reason being…local ordinances vary between cities and counties, so check what the rules are in your neck of the woods.
