Why is open burning regulated?
There are important reasons why open burning must be regulated. Many harmful air pollutants can be emitted when some kinds of materials are burned. Burning can produce very toxic pollutants that irritate the eyes and lungs and can even cause cancer. Burning debris is the number one cause of forest fires in Wisconsin, causing approximately 40 percent of forest fires each year–and burning garbage causes about 40 percent of the debris fires that lead to forest fires. Issuing burning permits allows the DNR and local government to caution people about safe burning procedures and curtail burning if the fire danger gets too high. Burning permits also helps authorities to keep track of where the burning is taking place in order to prevent “false alarms” or to respond more quickly should a fire get out of control.
