Pahrump’s burn season coming to a close

It may still technically be spring in the Pahrump Valley but the weather is already warming up and as the month of May progresses toward June, temperatures will only continue to rise. With the coming of the intense heat, the annual burn moratorium is looming and residents have just nine days remaining in which to get their burning completed before the burn season closes for the summer months.

“As you all have heard, Southern Nevada is in a drought this year. With that news, and the coming heat, PVFRS will be closing burn season on May 31,” an announcement sent out by Pahrump Valley Fire and Rescue Service Administrative Secretary Jennifer Fanning stated.

She noted that the last day for Pahrump residents to dispose of their yard debris via burning will be on Sunday, May 30, with the burn moratorium going into effect the following day.

Of course, all burns taking place in the next nine days must comply with the regulations set forth in Pahrump Town Ordinance #28, and one of the most important of those regulations stipulates that all persons wishing to conduct a controlled burn must first obtain a burn permit.

These permits can only be issued to the property owner, meaning tenants and renters are not allowed to receive them. The permits are also nontransferable between persons but they can cover multiple locations owned by the same property owner and can be moved to a new property in the event that the landowner relocates. The permits are issued free of charge and they do not need to be renewed. Once a burn permit has been secured for a given property, that permit remains on file with PVFRS.

Another key regulation laid down in Pahrump Town Ordinance #28 is the requirement for those conducting burns to first contact PVFRS to receive the go-ahead from either the fire chief or his or her designee. If conditions exist that could pose a hazard, such as high winds, permission will not be granted.

“Permit holders found burning without authorization may be warned on the first occasion,” the ordinance states. “Upon subsequent occasions, the permit holder may be charged with a misdemeanor.”

Depending on the type of materials to be burned, controlled burns must take place either in a burn barrel as defined in the ordinance or in a pile that is no taller than three feet and no wider than six feet. For any household waste burns, which are limited to paper products only, a burn barrel must be used. For yard debris such as tree limbs, weeds, grass cuttings and other vegetation, these can be burned directly on the ground or in a pit, so long as the height and width of the waste vegetation does not exceed three by six feet. All controlled burns, whether taking place on the ground or in a barrel, must be conducted at least 25 feet from other combustible materials and must constantly be monitored, with a water source nearby in case suppression is needed.

Burning is only permitted between the hours of 8 a.m. and 4 p.m. on weekdays and 8 a.m. to noon on weekends. Burning is not allowed on holidays, such as Memorial Day.

Any person found violating the Pahrump burn ordinance is subject to a misdemeanor charge.

Once the burn moratorium is in place, absolutely no burning will be authorized. The burn moratorium will remain in place until the fall, and is typically lifted in late October or early November, depending on weather conditions.

Burn permits can be obtained online by visiting www.pahrumpnv.org and clicking on the “Pahrump Valley Fire and Rescue” link under the “Departments” drop-down menu. The application link is at the bottom of the page. Download the application, follow the instructions and email the document to jfanning@pahrumpnv.org or drop it off at PVFRS Station 1, 300 N. Highway 160. Once issued, the permit can be mailed to the recipient or picked up at the fire station.

For more information contact the PVFRS burn desk at 775-727-5658, extension 2.

Contact reporter Robin Hebrock at rhebrock@pvtimes.com