CC Minutes - 08/29/01 Work Session

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danger from open flames and endorsed the concept of adding prohibitions on smoking to the signs. Ms. Taylor suggested the County be asked to do something about bonfires in the areas under County jurisdiction outside the city limits that could potentially affect Eugene structures. She had seen such a fire the previous year. Deputy Chief Groves clarified that the County did have a burning season; burning was regulated by the different fire districts and Lane Regional Air Pollution Authority and generally required a permit. Ms. Taylor did not think the situation she had witnessed was safe, and wondered if the County could be persuaded to adopt regulations precluding such situations. Ms. Taylor said she received a constituent call about a recreational fire used for cooking, and it seemed to her that City Code was ambiguous about the issue. She thought it should be clarified. Deputy Chief Groves said that the department responded year-round to such calls. In the case of an obvious cooking fire, that was allowed; an obvious bonfire was not. Ms. Taylor thought that the fact cooking was intended did not make the fire less dangerous. Fire Marshal Augsburger indicated that the department's level of response would depend on the size and use of the fire. A small fire on the ground contained by bricks or stones was less dangerous than an open fire. The crews used their best judgment to determine the level of response. Mr. Rayor shared the concerns expressed by other regarding structure addressing. He asked if the department had communicated with Portland about its experience fighting its recent large fire. Deputy Chief Groves indicated he would contact Portland for its after-incident critique. He noted the inclusion in the meeting packet of two articles from The Oregonian on this story, one regarding the fire command perspective on that fire. Chief Tallon added that the department always worked to take advantage of the lessons learned by other departments. Mr. Rayor said he had recently witnessed a response to a forest fire in a rural area of Lane County and suggested it would be useful to learn where those responding jurisdictions had their equipment physically located. An Oregon Department of Forestry representative discussed the agency's operations and its coordination with local fire departments. He emphasized the coordination between his agency and the Fire & Emergency Medical Services Department, and said the Oregon Department of Forestry would respond to a south hills fire in cooperation with the local department. Deputy Chief Groves also stressed the level of cooperation and coordination and praised the Oregon Department of Forestry for its invaluable work with the City over the years. Mayor Torrey asked what the fire hazard had been prior to the recent rains. Deputy Chief Groves said the danger had been moderate for some time. He noted he had toured the south hills the previous evening to view conditions, and there was still green on the north sides of the south hills, but he acknowledged that other areas were very dry, primarily those with south and west exposures. Mayor Torrey asked when conditions reached the point that required the City to close areas such as the Ridgeline Trail. Deputy Chief Groves said that had occurred before. During past seasons conditions had reached extreme levels. He anticipated that if the City reached a high hazard level, it could lead to park and path restrictions. Mr. Johnson added that the situation could change in as little as a week; if such closures were necessary, he would take the measure needed to enact them. MINUTES--Eugene City Council August 29, 2001 Page 4 Work Session