HENRICO, Va. (WRIC) — Virginia’s 4 p.m. Burning Law will go into effect on Wednesday for the next two months. The law bans open-air burning between midnight-4 p.m. within 300 feet of grass and wood from February 15 to April 30.
After a big brush fire in Henrico County this weekend, 8News spoke with battalion chief Doug Reynolds who wants Virginians to be aware of the law and tells the station why it runs until the end of April.
“Usually by the end of April, we’re starting to see things green up. We’re starting to get leaves on the trees so that canopy will help keep things cooler on the ground versus where the leaves and sticks and all this debris heats with this bright sun,” Reynolds explained. “And then we start to see those summertime humidity levels where there’s just a lot more moisture in the air which makes the fires harder to burn.”
According to Reynolds, the law runs from mid-February to the end of April because of low humidity, higher winds and dry forest conditions. He says campfires are fine but warns people to be mindful of them.
“You can do a campfire, but you have to be there with it the whole time that it’s burning, and then when you go to leave, you have to make sure you extinguish it completely,” Reynolds explained.
The Burning Law does not apply to chimeneas, gas-fired grills or fire pits in good condition. It does apply to outdoor fires not covered or contained within non-flammable barriers.
According to the Virginia Department of Forestry, anyone who doesn’t obey the 4 p.m. Burning Law could face a $500 fine and a Class 3 misdemeanor.
