Casper Mountain residents are facing a dilemma as the annual early-spring burn of the massive slash pile has been put on pause due to dry conditions. The Casper Mountain Fire Protection District board of directors, joined by Casper Fire-EMS chiefs, discussed the situation and options for residents to deal with their accumulated slash.

Background

The slash pile, which has been a long-running service for mountain residents, traditionally opens on June 1 and closes in October. However, due to the exceptionally mild winter and another possibly on the way, the pile remains unburned. Casper Mountain Fire Protection District Chief Lisa Evers made the call after a meeting with other fire chiefs where the critically dry vegetation conditions were discussed.

Casper Fire-EMS Chief Jacob Black stated that the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s long-term forecast anticipates that next winter will be just as mild, if not more so, than the last. The annual slash burn began in the early 80’s during the beetle-kill epidemic and is always a highly-regulated event with state Department of Environmental Quality permits, forecasting, and on-site monitoring necessary to do it safely.

Options for Residents

Residents still have the option to dispose of slash for free at the city landfill, and they can even get the mulch back for free. There is no limit to the amount residents can bring down for free, as long as there are no invasive species. The city is also looking at options and costs for dealing with the current slash pile, including the use of fully contained, highly efficient incinerators that put out minimal smoke.

Residents also have the option to dig their own burn pits, but this would first require applying for and buying a burn permit from the Natrona County Fire Protection District. The county is already preparing to update its Regional Community Wildfire Protection Plan, which was last updated in 2014.

Original reporting: Oil City News (Casper WY) — read the source article.