It’s fall and it’s a time when rural Greene County residents start open burning yard waste and other garbage.

Greene County Sheriff Jack Williams says while it’s not against the law for a homeowner to open burn in the rural areas of the County, there are some things to keep in mind when doing so.

“Just make sure you are calling them in to the LEC (law enforcement center) so we know where they are and a contact number so if someone reports it, we can make sure that we are not sending out fire crews to a controlled burn. And just keep in mind too that just because we’ve gotten all of this rain the corn dries out fairly fast and will burn pretty rapidly up high. So just keep in mind the surroundings and where you are burning.”

Williams recommends not burning in tall grassy areas and to avoid windy days. He adds if fire departments are sent to the scene of a controlled burn that wasn’t called in and fire crews aren’t needed, the individual can face a $125 fine. When calling in a controlled burn to the LEC, information needed is such as where the burn will take place and the anticipated time frame. The non-emergency number for the LEC is 515-386-2136.