Village of Webster, WI Fire Prevention

The Chief and assistants or officers in command at any fire are hereby vested with full and complete police authority at fires. Any officer of the Department may cause the arrest of any person failing to give the right-of-way to the Fire Department in responding to a fire.

The Fire Chief may prescribe certain limits in the vicinity of any fire within which no persons, excepting firemen and policemen and those admitted by order of any officer of the Department, shall be permitted to come.

The Chief shall have the power to cause the removal of any property whenever it shall become necessary for the preservation of such property from fire or to prevent the spreading of fire or to protect the adjoining property, and during the progress of any fire he shall have the power to cause the removal of all wires or other facilities and the turning off of all electricity or other services where the same impedes the work of the Department during the progress of a fire.

Fire inspection duties.

While acting as Fire Inspector pursuant to § 101.14(2), Wis. Stats., the Fire Chief, or any officer of the Fire Department designated by the Fire Chief, shall have the right and authority to enter any building or upon any premises in the Village of Webster at all reasonable hours for the purpose of making inspections or investigations which, under the provisions of this Code, he may deem necessary.

The Chief of the Webster Rural Fire Association is required, by himself or by officers or members of the Fire Department designated by him as fire inspectors, to inspect all buildings, premises and public thoroughfares, except the interiors of private dwellings, for the purpose of ascertaining and causing to be corrected any conditions liable to cause fire or any violations of any law or ordinance relating to the fire hazard or to the prevention of fires. Such inspections shall be made at least once in six months in all of the territory served by the Webster Rural Fire Association and not less than once in three months in such territory as the Village Board has designated or thereafter designates as within the fire limits or as a congested district subject to conflagration, and more often as the Chief of the Fire Department orders. Each six-month period shall begin on January 1 and July 1, and each three-month period on January 1, April 1, July 1 and October 1 of each year.

Written reports of inspections shall be made and kept on file in the office of the Chief of the Webster Rural Fire Association in the manner and form required by the Department of Commerce.

[Amended 6-13-2001]

§ 151-4 Damaging fire hose prohibited.

No person shall willfully injure in any manner any hose, hydrant or fire apparatus belonging to the village, and no vehicle shall be driven over any unprotected hose of the Webster Rural Fire Association when laid down on any street, private driveway or other place to be used at any fire or alarm of fire, without the consent of the Fire Department official in command.

§ 151-5 Authority to enter adjacent property.

It shall be lawful for any fireman while acting under the direction of the Fire Chief or other officer in command to enter upon the premises adjacent to or in the vicinity of any building or other property then on fire for the purpose of extinguishing such fire, and, in case any person shall hinder, resist or obstruct any fireman in the discharge of his duty as is hereinbefore provided, the person so offending shall be deemed guilty of resisting firemen in the discharge of their duty.

§ 151-6 Duty of bystanders to assist.

Every person who shall be present at a fire shall be subject to the orders of the Fire Chief or officer in command and may be required to render assistance in fighting the fire or in removing or guarding property. Such officer shall have the power to cause the arrest of any person or persons refusing to obey said orders.

§ 151-7 Vehicles to yield right-of-way.

Whenever there shall be a fire or fire alarm or the Fire Department shall be out for practice, every person driving or riding in a motor or other vehicle shall move and remain to the side of the street until the fire engine and fire truck and other fire apparatus shall have passed.

§ 151-8 Interference with use of hydrants prohibited.

No person shall occupy any portion of such streets or alleys with a motor or other vehicle between such fire engine or fire truck or other fire apparatus or any hydrant to which a fire hose may be or may be about to be attached.

§ 151-9 Open burning.

[Amended 6-13-2001; 6-13-2007]

Prohibited burning.

Burning construction waste or debris at a construction site shall be prohibited.

Burning barrels or other similar devices to burn refuse/debris shall be prohibited.

No materials may be burned upon any street, curb, gutter, sidewalk, or drainage ditch.

No burning shall be allowed on Sundays or holidays.

Exceptions

Outdoor cooking over a fire contained in a device or structure designed for such use is permissible.

Recreational burning pits or campfires not exceeding four feet in diameter and not located within 25 feet of any structure are permissible. The burning of clean, non-painted wood only is permitted. The use of burning pits to burn refuse/debris is prohibited. Recreational burning pits or campfires shall be extinguished by 12:00 midnight.

Controlled burning of grass or similar vegetation for environmental management purposes is permitted with the prior approval of the Fire Chief or his/her designee.

Ceremonial campfires or bonfires are permissible with prior approval of the Fire Chief or his/her designee.

(5)

Burning of leaves, grass and tree branches as permitted under Subsection C.

(6)

Other occasions of desirable outdoor burning not specified by this subsection, but not as an alternative to refuse removable or disposal of which other methods are available, may be granted single occasion approval following issuance of a single- event burning permit obtained from the Fire Chief or such other person or persons designated by the Village Board.

Open burning regulations. The following regulations shall be applicable for open burning, including for open burning for which permission has been granted.

All open burning shall be performed in a safe, pollution-free manner, when wind and weather conditions are such to minimize adverse affects to neighboring residences, and in conformance with local and state fire protection regulations. The Fire Chief is permitted to prohibit any or all bonfires and outdoor fires when atmospheric conditions or local circumstances make such fires hazardous. Open burning shall not be used to covertly burn plastic, construction debris, painted wood, pallets, or other prohibited materials.

Quantities of materials to be burned shall be restricted to allow for complete consumption of the material while attended in the time frame allowed.

Any ashes created by burning such material as is lawful under this section are to be disposed of in a manner authorized by law.

Open burning shall be constantly attended and supervised by a competent person of at least 16 years of age until such fire is extinguished. This person shall have ready for use such extinguishing equipment as may be necessary for the total control of the fire while burning and/or extinguishment.

(5)

Permitted open burning is allowed only after 6:00 p.m. and shall be extinguished by 12:00 midnight.

(6)

All burning will be prohibited when the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources issues emergency burning restrictions per Wis. Admin. Code S.NR30.05.

(a)

Gas grills are permissible during these restrictions.

(b)

Charcoal grills are permissible if used on paved or gravel surfaces; disposable of briquettes or ashes is not permitted.

Enforcement costs.

In the event open burning is in violation of this section, the property owner will be responsible and billed for the cost of extinguishment.

In the event that a fire escapes and must be extinguished (whether it is a permitted use or not) the property owner will be billed for extinguishment.

If unpaid bills remain unpaid after 30 days, the cost shall be entered on the tax roll as a special assessment as provided in § 66.0627, Wis. Stats.