In Astoria, outdoor burning could trigger a call to 911.

In Astoria, your outdoor campfire or burn barrel could trigger a call to 911.  Fire chief Ted Ames told the Astoria City Council that although outdoor burning is allowed in Astoria by permit, that current state fire restrictions are now in force, allowing general burning in screened burn barrels only from daylight until 10am, campfires are allowed if 3 feet or under in size, for cooking, warming or ceremonial purposes only, constantly tended and put out before returning into the home.   Ames said if people are distressed by their neighbors outdoor burning, they should call the fire department.

“If somebody’s truly having a problem with burning, and they make a call to the business line and we’re not available, I encourage folks when I talk to them on the phone, to call 911, for the simple reason that if its serious enough that its causing a problem for them, and they can’t get hold of us right away, we would like to be able to get out to the people and make sure that we take care of the problem.”

Ames said Astoria does have a burn permit system, with a 50 dollar charge for two years, renewable to an additional year for 35 dollars.  Although no specific guidelines come with the permits, Ames suggested no trash, such as plastic or diapers, be burned and if burning is causing distress to neighbors, expect a visit from fire department personnel.