As warmer days begin to become common, residents in the area will begin their spring clean up which may involve the burning of yard debris. The Officers and Members of the First West Chester Fire Company ask that any one who choose to take such action keep in mind several important safety tips and regulations.

- The burning of any material can be dangerous and should only be done by adults. Not only does burning affect your property, but it can affect your neighbor's as well.

- The West Chester Fire Department protects residences and businesses in the Borough of West Chester and the six surrounding municipalities. Each municipality has
different rules and regulations when it comes to burning outdoors. Familiarize yourself with these rules before you burn. Copies of the municipal burning ordinances can be found on our website in the Public Information section.

- Before burning takes place, call the Chester County 911 Center at 610-692-5100 and provide your address and telephone number. This aids the Fire Department in the event someone calls 911 because they smell or see a fire and they aren't sure if its a controlled burn.

- Never leave a fire unattended and always have a sustained water source at the ready. Even fires in 'burn barrels' can spread to nearby brush.

- No burning should take place on high fire danger or 'Red Flag' days. Warnings such as these from the National Weather Service mean that there is an increased or high risk of fire spread due to certain weather conditions. Small fires can quickly become out of control posing great risk to open land, fields, woods, and buildings.