Bluff City Volunteer Fire Department, Inc.
"The desire to serve, the courage to act, the ability to perform"
APPLE BUTTER FOR SALE
IT'S THAT TIME OF YEAR AGAIN. WE HAVE APPLE BUTTER FOR SALE. WE WILL BE SET UP AT HERITAGE DAYS ON SEPTEMBER 27, CONTACT ANY OF OUR MEMBERS, OR YOU CAN STOP BY THE STATION. TUESDAY NIGHTS ARE THE BEST TIME TO COME BY.
$4.00-Pints $8.00-Quarts
BURN PERMIT REQUIRED OCTOBER 15-MAY 15
Burning permits focus attention on the safe use of fire. From October 15 through May 15, anyone starting an open-air fire within 500 feet of a forest, grassland, or woodland must by law secure a burning permit from the Division of Forestry. Permits are not required for burning in containers such as a metal barrel with a ½" mesh screen cover. Anyone needing to burn within an incorporated city should contact city authorities about any local burning ordinances. Many towns and cities have their own burning regulations that supersede the Division of Forestry’s burning permit program.
Permits are free of charge and may be obtained by calling the phone number listed below for the county in which the burning will be done. Burning permits are available Monday through Friday from 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., except on holidays. Permits may be obtained in advance for weekends and holidays.
Sullivan County (423) 239-5811.
*MEMBERS NEEDED*
We are always in need of members. We have business meetings on the 2nd Tuesday of each month at 7:00 pm, and training on the other Tuesdays. If you would like to become a member of the Bluff City Volunteer Fire Department, and you are at least 15 years old, please give us a call, stop by the station, or click here to email Brandon Hicks. Click here to print an application, or click here to fill out an application online.
The Sullivan County Volunteer Fireman's Association is starting a recruitment and retention campaign. Check out their website for more information. http://www.scffassociation.org/, or click on the link below
.jpg)
APPROXIMATE RESPONSE AREA FOR BLUFF CITY VFD
View Larger MapZOOM IN ON THE FLAMES TO SEE RESPONSE AREA. Please call or email the Fire Department to see for sure if you are in our response area.
MULCH FIRES
- Be aware of this danger.
- Recognize when it gets hot and has been dry for an extended time, which enables these fires to start more readily.
- If you smoke, PLEASE use the provided receptacles to discard your smoking material and matches.
- If you see anything smoking in a landscaped bed, please call 911. If the burning material is not thoroughly wet or removed, it may re-ignite.
- Grounds maintenance crews should be aware of the conditions that are favorable for mulch fires and increase surveillance of mulch beds in the afternoon when fires are more likely to occur.
- Provide proper receptacles for smoking materials at all entrances to public buildings and in designated smoking areas. Do not use mulch in or near these areas.
- Provide a minimum of an 18-inch clearance between landscaping mulch beds and combustible building materials. Ensure proper clearance to electric devices, such as decorative lights, by following the manufacturer's instructions.
- Keep landscaping mulch beds moist if possible.
BURNING ILLEGAL MATERIALS
There have been several reports of "illegal burns" in the area this year. Some people may not realize that it is illegal to burn most items. If we respond to an illegal burn, we usually ask the property owner to extinguish the fire, or if it is a large fire, or a fire left unattended, we will extinguish it. Most of these fires are reported to the fire department by neighbors, or people passing by, and we are usually dispatched to a "smoke investigation" or an "odor investigation."
The Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation (TDEC) has a list of items that can not be burned. Anyone caught burning these items can be fined by TDEC up to $25,000.00. The following list was taken from TDEC's website (http://www.state.tn.us/environment/apc/):
WHAT NOT TO BURN in TENNESSEE:
* Tires and other rubber products
* Vinyl siding and vinyl shingles
* Plastics and other synthetic materials
* Paper products, cardboard and newspaper
* Asphalt shingles, and other asphalt roofing materials and demolition debris
* Asbestos-containing materials
*Paints, household and agricultural chemicals
* Aerosol cans and food cans
* Building material and construction debris
* Buildings and mobile homes
* Copper wire and electrical wires
* Household trash
* Leaves, branches and trees not grown on site. It may be okay to burn leaves, branches, tree limbs, twigs, lawn clippings, woody vegetation, yard trimmings, clean unpainted, uncoated wood or untreated lumber. Check your local and/or other state ordinances. Improper outdoor burning can lead to fines up to $25,000. THIS IS THE LAW in TENNESSEE
Responses for 2008
| January-12 | February-10 |
| March-13 | April-11 |
| May-7 | June-14 |
| July-6 | August-15 |
| September-16 | October-20 |
| November-1 | December |
Total:125
***See "Department News" page for a list of our calls by type for 2008***