Sean C. Morgan
Of The New Era
The city of Sweet Home is telling you to mow your lawns if your grass and weeds are more than 10 inches tall.
Fire season starts on June 15, Code Enforcement Officer Byron Wolfsong said, and with that, the city will mow any lawns that are too tall and then charge the property owner for the mowing plus a 30-percent administrative fee.
The city published three notices warning residents to get their lawns mowed in recent weeks, he said. “I’ve seen a lot of people start mowing.”
Initially, the city will send seven-day notices to property owners with tall weeds and grass, he said. “There’s going to be some cases where I’m going to have to have it mowed the same day.”
That will be in cases where there is some direct safety hazard later in the summer, he said. Even then, the city will try hard to notify property owners ahead of time.
The city charges property owners by lien after 30 days, Community Development Director Carol Lewis said. Interest accrues at 9 percent once the lien is placed.
Wolfsong has names of mowers the city uses, he said. For information or a list of mowers, contact him at 367-4554.
Backyard debris burning will be prohibited in both Benton and Linn counties starting Saturday, June 16. Aimed at preventing wildfires, the burning ban makes open burning of yard waste and other debris unlawful. Escaped debris burns are a significant cause of wildfires in Oregon.
Though much of the landscape appears lush, fire danger is on the rise, according to Oregon Department of Forestry’s Kevin Crowell.
“The woody materials have dried and cured,” he said. “And we’ve been seeing fires in this fuel, even though the surrounding fields are green.”
Recent precipitation triggered the grass growth, but the short duration of the rainfall had little effect on the heavier forest fuels – downed trees and large limbs – which continued to dry out as the weather warmed. The forester said that the grasses have matured and will soon become flammable as well.
Begun 15 years ago, the annual burning ban coincides with an Oregon Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ) rule that forbids burning of domestic waste within three air miles of cities over 1,000 in population.
The Oregon Department of Forestry (ODF) burning ban expands the geographical scope beyond the three-mile limit to include all areas in Benton and Linn counties. While the DEQ rule runs June 16-Sept. 30, the ODF burning ban will remain in effect through Oct. 15 this year.
Crowell noted that ODF decided to extend its debris-burning ban two weeks longer than in previous years to more closely parallel the wildfire season. Over the past two decades, he said, there have been only a few years in which the local ODF districts have ended the season by Sept. 30, traditionally the last day of the burn ban.
Contingent on weather conditions at the time, the ban could be lifted before Oct. 15 or even extended beyond.
The ODF debris burning ban is being instituted in collaboration with the Benton and Linn counties’ fire defense boards.
“During the summer months, there is a major risk of fires starting from residential burning,” Rick Smith, Benton County Fire Defense Board Chief, said. “This is an opportunity to reduce the likelihood of out-of-control ground fires.”
Linn County residents seeking additional information on debris-burning rules are advised to contact their local fire department or the Oregon Department of Forestry office in Sweet Home, (541) 367-6108.