Kootenai County lifts burn ban

Kootenai County fire chiefs lifted summer’s burn ban today. Residents may burn combustible rubbish such as paper and cardboard if no house-to-house solid waste collection is available if local ordinances allow and the burning is done on the property where the waste was generated, according to a Kootenai County Fire & Rescue news release. Residents are also allowed to burn vegetative yard waste if local ordinances allow it. More rain is needed before it is safe to burn large piles of logging slash, so residents should check with the Idaho Department of Lands at (208) 769-1577 before doing so, the news release said. Garbage may never be burned. Residents should check with their local fire department to ensure burning is allowed each time they wish to burn. They should also check with the Department of Environmental Quality for current air quality. Air quality status is available at (800) 633-6247 for Kootenai, Shoshone and Bonner counties. Residents must still obtain a burn permit if required by their local fire department and adhere to DEQ’s open burning rules. The rules can be found at www.deq.idaho.gov.