HomeMy WebLinkAboutMemo - Mail Packet - 7/28/2020 - Memorandum From Cassie Archuleta And Jason Komes Re: Outdoor Residential Wood Burning - Update
Environmental Services
222 Laporte Ave
PO Box 580
Fort Collins, CO 80522
970-221-6600
fcgov.com
MEMORANDUM
DATE: July 22, 2020
TO: Mayor and Councilmembers
THRU: Darin Atteberry, City Manager
Jackie Kozak Thiel, Chief Sustainability Officer
Lucinda Smith, Environmental Services Director
FROM: Cassie Archuleta, Air Quality Program Manager
Jason Komes, Air Quality Specialist
RE: Outdoor Residential Wood Burning - Update
Bottom Line
Council adopted new rules regarding outdoor residential wood burning in March 2019, and the City is
now amid the second season of implementation. An evaluation report was originally planned after the
2019 season, but this has been delayed to also include 2020 due to the impacts of COVID-19.
Specifically, 2020 has seen an increase in complaints over 2019, with some community members
expressing concern regarding compounded air quality and respiratory impacts of both smoke and
COVID-19 and some requesting renewed consideration of a ban. This memo includes an update and
summary through June 2020, with a full 2-year evaluation report anticipated in December 2020.
Outdoor Residential Wood Burning
In March 2019, Council adopted new air quality nuisance rules related to outdoor residential wood
burning. New rules included prohibiting outdoor wood burning between 10 p.m. and 7 a.m. along with a
15-foot property line setback for wood-burning fire pits and fireplaces. In April 2019, staff began
implementation, outreach, and education efforts to promote voluntary compliance. Outreach and
engagement activities in 2020 have included:
Updated website (fcgov.com/outdoorburning)
Engagement through questionnaire posted on e-forum site (ourcity.fcgov.com)
Social media posts on Twitter, Facebook and NextDoor
City newsletters (Air Quality, Climate, City News)
Press releases
KUNC radio ad
>200 neighborhood letters
49 individual household letters
While staff has focused primarily on non-regulatory activities such as outreach, education, and
promotion of good neighbor relations, some complaints have escalated to enforcement action.
Enforcement activity through June 2020 has included:
1 Notice of Violation (2019)
5 Ongoing investigations for potential Notices of Violation (2020)
The table below shows the number of complaints received in 2019 and the number to date (through
June 30) in 2020 by the Environmental Services Department (ESD) and Poudre Fire Authority (PFA).
The chart below shows a comparison of complaints received during the second quarter of each year.
DocuSign Envelope ID: ADC8C790-6092-4BFF-8EBA-176CC6BB441C
2
Quarter
# Complaints
Received
Primary Nature of Complaint
Nuisance Code Fire Code Other
ESD PFA Total Time of
Day
Property
Line
Distance
Nuisance
Smoke
Burning
Yard
Waste
Distance to
Combustibles
(Odor/
Health/
Unknown)
2019
Q2* 24 32 56 14 2 14 5 5 16
Q3 31 30 61 23 0 6 10 5 17
Q4 3 12 15 1 3 1 4 1 5
Total 58 74 132 38 5 21 19 11 38
2020
Q1 5 18 23 0 1 5 7 3 7
Q2 78 49 127 21 2 38 15 14 37
Total 83 67 150 21 3 43 22 17 44
*New rules and new tracking system implemented in 2 nd quarter, 2019.
Notably, 2020 has seen an increase in the number of complaints between April and June (Q2), 43 of
which are repeat complaints. Repeat complaints are generally categorized as one of the following:
Same complainant about the same source address within a 12-month period; or
Same complainant about an unknown source in a given neighborhood within a 12-month period.
Of the repeat complaints in 2020, approximately 25 are associated with two neighborhoods that have
been either unfounded or are unactionable due to insufficient information to proceed. Of the actionable
repeat complaints, 5 are currently under investigation for escalation of enforcement, and the remainder
have either been unfounded or the complainant requested no further action.
In part, some individuals have noted increased concern due to COVID-19 impacts, where individuals
with or recovering from COVID-19 may have diminished lung function and therefore might be at
particularly high risk of respiratory health effects after exposure to wood smoke. In light of these
impacts, the CDC has recommended that jurisdictions consider a temporary ban on open burning
(www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/php/openburning.html). Additionally, on July 22, Larimer County
adopted fire restrictions on open fires for unincorporated parts of the County restricting outdoor fires
that are not located in permanent structures (www.larimer.org/spotlights/2020/07/21/larimer-county-
adopts-fire-restrictions-open-fires). County restrictions are related to fire safety and are in effect until
August 31.
0
50
100
150
2019 2020Number of ComplaintsOutdoor Burning Complaints Received
Second Quarter (April -June)
PFA
ESD
DocuSign Envelope ID: ADC8C790-6092-4BFF-8EBA-176CC6BB441C
3
Next Steps
Currently, new July 22-August 31 Larimer County fire restrictions do not apply within City limits. Poudre
Fire Authority will be consulted regarding expanding these restrictions into City limits for fire safety
purposes.
For smoke nuisance concerns, unless otherwise directed by Council, staff will continue to promote
voluntary compliance with education/enforcement approach. This includes providing information about
the impacts of COVID-19 to strongly discourage outdoor burning to limit impacts to vulnerable
individuals in light of the coronavirus.
Additionally, staff is preparing a 2-year evaluation report. This will include community feedback that was
collected regarding the first year of implementation (2019), and additional feedback sent to staff and
Council in 2020. This report is expected to be provided in December 2020.
DocuSign Envelope ID: ADC8C790-6092-4BFF-8EBA-176CC6BB441C