With the spring season here it also brings the time of year when rural residents typically burn timber and brush piles.

Greene County Sheriff Jack Williams has some reminders for those who wish to do controlled burns in the county. “Just make sure you are calling the LEC (law enforcement center) to let us know who you are (with) a contact number, and the location of where you are doing the burn. So that if we have a passerby see the smoke and flames, they don’t call it in and we send resources out for something that’s not needed.”

Williams shares what the ideal conditions should be when someone does a controlled burn.

“The less wind, the better. Just make sure the wind is not blowing towards structures that the fire could get out of control and go to. I’d prefer people to do their control burns after a rain, so that the surrounding areas got some moisture in to slow down a fire if it does get out of control.”

Williams adds that if resources are sent that are not needed because someone didn’t call in a controlled burn, then the property owner could face a citation. The non-emergency number to the law enforcement center is 515-386-2136.