Evening smoke from across border

Unapproved controlled burns are not the cause of evening clouds of smoke that are being reported to Rural/Metro Fire Department.

The smoke is coming from across the border.

Rural/Metro Fire Marshal Curt Foster says the agency receives a number of calls each week from concerned residents who want to know why Rural/Metro allows people to burn at night.

"The answer is, we aren't.It's actually coming from across the border," Foster said. "We don't want people who burn legally to think others aren't."

Foster explained that communities in Mexico burn their refuse two to three times a week in the evenings and that is where the smoke is coming from.

He said the winds, which are coming from the south this time of year, then blow that smoke into Yuma County.

Rural/Metro administers the control burn program locally through the Arizona Department of Environmental Quality and the Yuma County Health Department.

While year-round burning is permitted in Yuma County, Foster said the months of June, July and August typically see an increase in smoke from controlled burns.

Farmers are beginning to burn wheat field stubble, which produces the large plumes of smoke appearing throughout the county.

These fields are generally burned in the morning to allow the smoke to dissipate by the afternoon.

Foster added that controlled burns, especially farm field burns, will continue throughout the summer.

Therefore, smoke will be visible in the county, from the Wellton and Tacna areas to Mexico, but residents should not be concerned.

Rural/Metro issues announcements before controlled burns in an attempt to minimize fire concern regarding the smoke, as well as alerts residents with breathing or respiratory problems.

A majority of controlled burns are on farmlands, especially during the summer months, but permits are also issued to households for old papers, yard clippings, etc., and a few permits are issued to commercial facilities, he said.

Rural/Metro does not issue permits for night burns.

For more information on controlled burns or acquiring permits for them, call Rural/Metro at 782-4757.