Cape task force looks at burning rules

A task force with representatives from city hall, the fire department and the county health board is examining laws on burning yard waste in Cape Girardeau.

Battalion chief Mike Morgan, the group's spokesman, said city officials thought it was worth looking at current ordinances after incidents where unattended piles of burning leaves and other debris sparked larger fires.

The task force will next meet March 23.

Safety is the task force's principal concern, he said.

"We are not trying to restrict open burning," Morgan said. "Because if we did that, then that raises other problems like what are people supposed to do with their yard waste. We just want to get a better handle on it so we can meet the needs of the greater population."

Morgan said the city would also like to better monitor atmospheric conditions and determine when humidity would make open burning a health concern.

"We've got a lot of laws already on the books, so what we're doing is trying to determine where we've got to amend them, modify them and leave them as is," said Morgan.

Burning of tree limbs, leaves and other yard waste inside the city limits is permitted when between 10 a.m and 4 p.m. Controlled burns require a permit.