More Recreational Fire Restrictions Coming to Eagan?

Planning a recreational fire in Eagan? You may have to keep a careful eye on the clock, if the Eagan City Council approves an ordinance amendment that could prohibit bonfires during certain overnight hours in the city.

On Tuesday night, the Eagan City Council directed city staff to prepare an ordinance amendment that would limit the allowable hours for recreational fires in Eagan. The city already has rules about the location of recreational fires, what can be burnt and the permissible conditions for fires, but doesn't have any stipulations regarding times.

Eagan Fire Chief Mike Scott said the number of complaints the fire department receives about recreational fires increases in the spring and fall. Many of those complaints, Scott said, come in the evening hours, when neighbors may have their windows open and smoke from a nearby bonfire enters their home.

"We want to keep it where peple can still enjoy themselves and have a recreational fire in their backyard, but we also have a number of people who would just as soon see them banned in the city because of the smoke," Scott said. During the spring and fall, many residents are burning prohibited items, including wet leaves and yard waste, Scott said, which only adds to the volume of smoke produced.

Smoke from a bonfire can be a nuisance for neighbors, but it's also a health risk for anyone with asthma or other breathing complications, Scott said.

City officials have yet to craft the proposed ordinance amendment, and have not yet decided what hours to prohibit recreational fire use. Before the new rules take affect, the council will also have to approve the amendment. Neighboring communities, including Burnsville and Mendota Heights, prohibit recreational fires after 11 p.m.

As part of the ordinance amendment, the city may also change its rules regarding outdoor fireplaces, which have grown in popularity in recent years, Scott said. City regulations currently dictate that outdoor fireplaces must be built at least 25 feet from the nearest home. Because outdoor fireplaces are much safer than open bonfires, the city is considering shortening that distance to 15 feet, Scott said.

"A fireplace by its design is much safer; you're only going to have one opening and you can't put things in there that are too large," Scott said.