fire

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LAKE PLACID AREA FIRE SAFETY
This page is dedicated to public safety in the Lake Placid area with regard to fire emergencies.

PAGE BOOKMARKS
LOCAL FIRE DEPARTMENTS
SAFETY TIPS
RURAL FIRE BROCHURE
CONTROLLED BURNS
STATE AND LOCAL CODE CONCERNING BURNS
BROCHURES AND LINKS TO OTHER SITES

LOCAL FIRE DEPARTMENTS

Fire Departments serving the South Highlands County and Lake Placid area are located at:

STATION 36	LAKE PLACID VOLUNTEER FIRE DEPARTMENT Chief Adam Hess	12 Interlake Boulevard PO Box 195 Lake Placid, Fl. 33862
STATION 33	HIGHLANDS PARK VOLUNTEER FIRE DEPARTMENT Chief Richard Giavoni	1317 Columbus Street Lake Placid, Fl. 33852
STATION 29	LEISURE LAKE VOLUNTEER FIRE DEPARTMENT
STATION 39	PLACID LAKES VOLUNTEER FIRE DEPARTMENT	300 Washington Blvd Nw Lake Placid, FL 33852
STATION 41	SUN N LAKES SOUTH VOLUNTEER FIRE DEPARTMENT	185 Polk St. Lake Placid, FL 33852

SAFETY TIPS

Make sure all family members know what to do in the event of a fire.
Draw a floor plan with at least two ways of escaping every room. Make a drawing for each floor. Dimensions do not need to be correct. Make sure the plan shows important details: stairs, hallways and windows that can be used as fire escape routes.
Test windows and doors—do they open easy enough? Are they wide enough. Or tall enough?
Choose a safe meeting place outside the house.
Practice alerting other members. It is a good idea to keep a bell and flashlight in each bedroom.
Conduct a family meeting and discuss the following topics:

Always sleep with the bedroom doors closed.
This will keep deadly heat and smoke out of bedrooms, giving you additional time to escape.
Find a way for everyone to sound a family alarm. Yelling, pounding on walls, whistles, etc. Practice yelling "FIRE!"
In a fire, time is critical. Don't waste time getting dressed, don't search for pets or valuables. Just get out!
Roll out of bed. Stay low. One breath of smoke or gases may be enough to kill.

Practice evacuating the building blindfolded.
In a real fire situation, the amount of smoke generated by a fire most likely will make it difficult to see.

Practice staying low to the ground when escaping.
Feel all doors before opening them. If a door is hot, get out another way.

Learn to stop, drop to the ground, roll if clothes catch fire.
Install smoke detectors. Check smoke detectors once a month and change the batteries at least once a year. Smoke detectors sense abnormal amounts of smoke or invisible combustion gases in the air. They can detect both smoldering and burning fires. At least one smoke detector should be installed on every level of a structure. Purchase smoke detectors labeled by the Underwriters Laboratories (UL) or Factory Mutual (FM).

Post emergency numbers near telephones.
Be aware that if a fire threatens your home, you should not place the call to emergency services from inside the home. It is better to get out and place the call to fire authorities from a safe location outside the home.

After a fire emergency
Give first aid where appropriate. Seriously injured victims should be transported to professional medical help immediately. Stay out of the damaged building. Return only when fire authorities say it is safe.

Make sure you have a safe fire escape method for all situations
You may have installed a very expensive home security system. But if you cannot escape the burning structure you have a false level of confidence.

Space Heaters Need Space
Keep portable and space heaters at least 3 feet from anything that may burn. Never leave heaters on when you leave home or go to sleep. Children and pets should always be kept away from them.

Smokers Need To Be Extra Careful
Never smoke in bed or when you are sleepy. Carelessly discarded cigarettes are a leading cause of fire deaths in the United States.

Be Careful Cooking
Keep cooking areas clear of combustibles and wear short or tight-fitting sleeves when you cook. Keep the handles of your pots turned inward so they do not over-hang the stove. If grease catches fire, carefully slide a lid over the pan and smother the flames, then turn off the burner.

Matches and Lighters are Dangerous
In the hands of a child, matches and lighters can be deadly! Store them where kids can't reach them, preferably in a locked area. Teach children that matches and lighters are "tools" and should only be used by adults.

Use Electricity Safely
If an appliance smokes or has an unusual smell, unplug it immediately and have it repaired. Replace frayed or cracked electrical cords and don't overload extension cords. They should not be run under rugs. Never tamper with the fuse box or use the improper size fuse.

Cool a Burn
If someone gets burned, immediately place the wound under cool water for 10 to 15 minutes. If the burn blisters or chars, see a doctor immediately!

Be Careful of Halogen Lights
If you have halogen lights, make sure they are away from flammable drapes and low ceiling areas. Never leave them on when you leave your home or office.

AREA CONTROLLED BURNS

Conditions in the Lake Placid area are extremely hazardous for burning. Wildland fires are a hazard due to the current dry conditions.

STATE AND LOCAL LAW REGARDING BURNING

The following laws and codes are current law. Note that state law may allow burning under certain conditions while town code or county code may provide more stringent restrictions for burns inside the town of Lake Placid or within Highlands County.

TOWN OF LAKE PLACID CODE

FIRE HYDRANTS § 107-28. Obstruction of fire hydrants. Any person who shall in any way or manner obstruct the use of any fire hydrant in the Town of Lake Placid or have or place or allow to be placed any material or motor vehicle in front thereof from the curbline to the center of the street to within ten (10) feet from either side thereof shall be deemed guilty of a misdemeanor and, upon conviction thereof, shall be fined not exceeding ten dollars ($10.) or imprisoned not exceeding ten (10) days, at the discretion of the Judge. Editors Note: Amended at time of adoption of Code; see Ch. 1, General Provisions, Art I.

LAKE JUNE PARK AREA § 110-56. (e) Fires. No person shall ignite or attempt to ignite any fire against or on any vegetation or park structures, except in designated fireplaces or grills. No person shall dispose of burning matches, smoking materials or other flammable items into or within the Lake June Park or into or within the Lake June Park public swimming place or into or within the idle speed/no wake zone. (f) Fireworks and explosives. No person shall possess or discharge fireworks or explosives into or within the Lake June Park or into or within the Lake June Park swimming place or into or within the idle speed/no wake zone, except as provided by resolution or proclamation described in section 110-54.

BURNING TRASH OR GARBAGE § 80-5. Prohibited acts. It shall be unlawful for any person to do any of the following: (7) To burn any garbage or trash within the Town.

STATE LAW

YARD WASTE
Required Setbacks for Yard Waste Burning:
It is illegal to burn household garbage including paper products, treated lumber, plastics, rubber materials, tires, pesticide, paint and aerosol containers.

25 feet from forests
50 feet from paved public roads
25 feet from your house
150 feet from other occupied buildings

WHAT IS YARD WASTE?
Yard waste is vegetative debris such as grass clippings, brush, leaves, tree limbs, palm fronds, etc., that are a result of yard maintenance.
You may burn yard waste as long as:

You meet the required setbacks and no local city or county ordinances prohibit burning,
The yard waste was generated on your property and it will fit in an 8-foot diameter pile or non-combustible container,
Your fire is ignited after 8:00 AM Central Time or 9:00 AM Eastern Time and is extinguished one hour before sunset,
Smoke is not a hazard or nuisance.
Clear an area down to bare soil around your pile to prevent the fire from spreading.

Cover a non-combustible container with wire mesh to keep sparks from flying out and starting new fires.

NOTE: Piles greater than 8 feet in diameter will require an 1) authorization from the Division of Forestry, 2) must have suppression equipment on hand, and 3) need to meet additional setback requirements.

823.02 Building bonfires.--Whoever is concerned in causing or making a bonfire within 10 rods of any house or building shall be guilty of a misdemeanor of the second degree, punishable as provided in s. 775.082 or s. 775.083.

FLORIDA ADMINISTRATIVE CODE 62-256

FLORIDA ADMINISTRATIVE CODE 62-256.700 Open Burning Allowed.
(1) Open Burning of Yard Waste.
(a) Open burning of yard waste is allowed provided:
1. The yard waste was generated on residential premises of not more than two family units;
2. The open burning is conducted on the premises where the material was generated;
3. The fire is ignited after 8:00 a.m. Central time or 9:00 a.m. Eastern time and extinguished no later than one hour before
sunset, provided however that no burning shall be conducted during windy conditions;
4. The fire is enclosed in a noncombustible container or is restricted to a pile no greater than eight feet in diameter built upon
ground cleared of all combustible material;
5. The fire is set back at least 25 feet from any wildlands, brush, or combustible structure, 50 feet from any paved public
roadway, and 150 feet from any occupied building other than that owned or leased by the individual doing the burning;
6. The fire is attended and adequate fire extinguishing equipment is readily available at all times; and
7. The moisture content and composition of material to be burned is favorable to good burning which will minimize smoke.
(b) Except as provided above and at subsections 62-256.700(8) and (9), F.A.C., any other open burning of yard waste is
allowed only if such burning is conducted using a Department-permitted air curtain incinerator operated in compliance with the provisions of Rule 62-296.401, F.A.C., and any other terms of the unit’s air permit.
(2) Open Burning of Tree Cutting Debris.
(a) Open burning of tree cutting debris is allowed provided:
1. The tree cutting debris was generated on residential premises of not more than two family units;
2. The open burning is restricted to the site where the tree cutting debris was generated;
3. The fire is ignited after 8:00 a.m. Central time or 9:00 a.m. Eastern time and shall have no visible flame one hour before
sunset or anytime thereafter, except in smoke sensitive areas as determined by the Division of Forestry, where the fire must be extinguished no later than one hour before sunset;
4. The fire is attended, and adequate fire extinguishing equipment is readily available at all times;
5. The moisture content and composition of material to be burned is favorable to good burning which will minimize smoke; and 6. Prior to conducting the open burning, the person responsible for the burn contacts the Division of Forestry regarding the planned burning activity.
(b) Except as provided above and at subsections 62-256.700(8) and (9), F.A.C., any other open burning of tree cutting debris shall be conducted using a Department-permitted air curtain incinerator operated in compliance with the provisions of Rule
62-296.401, F.A.C., and any other terms of the unit’s air permit.
(3) Open Burning of Land Clearing Debris.
(a) Open burning of land clearing debris is allowed provided:
1. The open burning is restricted to the site where the land clearing debris was generated;
2. The fire is ignited after 8:00 a.m. Central time or 9:00 a.m. Eastern time and shall have no visible flame one hour before
sunset or anytime thereafter, except in smoke sensitive areas as determined by the Division of Forestry, where the fire must be extinguished no later than one hour before sunset;
3. The fire is attended, and adequate fire extinguishing equipment is readily available at all times;
4. The moisture content and composition of material to be burned is favorable to good burning which will minimize smoke;
and
5. Prior to conducting the open burning, the person responsible for the burn contacts the Division of Forestry regarding the
planned burning activity.
(b) Except as provided above, any other open burning of land clearing debris shall be conducted using an air curtain incinerator operated in compliance with the terms of the exemption from air permitting at Rule 62-210.300, F.A.C., if such exemption applies, or if such exemption does not apply, in compliance with the provisions of Rule 62-296.401, F.A.C., and any other terms of the unit’s air permit.

BROCHURES AND LINKS

TRASH BURNS

MOBILE HOME SAFETY

TRAFFIC SAFETY HIGHWAY SMOKE

RURAL FIRE PREPAREDNESS

FLORIDA FORESTRY WEBPAGE

PUBLIC BURNS