Burn ban lifted

The Kootenai County fire chiefs lifted the burn ban on Tuesday.

Residents may burn combustible rubbish such as paper and cardboard, if no scheduled house-to-house solid waste collection service is available, local ordinances allow and the burning is conducted on the property where the waste was generated.

Residents are also allowed to burn vegetative yard waste such as leaves, yard trimmings or gardening waste if allowed by local ordinance and conducted on the property where the waste was generated.

More rain is needed before it will be safe to burn large piles of logging slash, however. Check with the Idaho Department of Lands at 769-1577 for more information.

Garbage may never be burned.

Residents should check with their local fire department and check Idaho Department of Environmental Quality for air quality to ensure that burning is allowed.

A recorded air quality status is available for Kootenai, Shoshone and Bonner counties at (800) 633-6247.

Residents must still obtain a burn permit if required by their local fire department and adhere to DEQ's open burning rules. The rules are posted at www.deq.idaho.gov.