Helpful
Information About Indoor and Outdoor Burning in Klamath Falls
The bulk of the information below pertains to indoor
and outdoor burning for those that live in the Air Quality Zone.
However, there is information as well for those that live outside
the zone.
We've lived in Klamath Falls since 1987. Since that time, there's been a strong effort to clean-up our air quality. The Herald
and News, our local newspaper, publishes information on our air quality. Did you know that Klamath Falls has some of the poorest air quality in the state? In 2005, Klamath Falls was seventh out of twenty-seven cities that had fewer than 300 days of good air! In January 2007, Klamath Falls had only six days of good air quality What can you do to help? Well, wood burning accounts for much of the air quality problem. If you have an older wood stove, replace it. If you can't afford to replace your stove, get some help with the expense. The South Central Oregon Economic Development District has $800,000 to replace wood stoves. For more information, visit their web site here.
Want
to know if it is OK to burn outside?(also
known as open burning)
Want
to know if it is OK to use your wood stove?
- Call
882-BURN (2876) or http://www.klamathair.org
- Klamath
Falls introduced an advisory schedule based on colors used for
traffic lights
Green
Yellow
- Only
EPA certified wood stoves and fireplaces may be used within the
Air Quality Zone. Open burning is prohibited countywide.
- Not
sure you have an EPA certified wood stove? Visit the Klamath
County Environment Health web site: http://www.co.klamath.or.us/EH/index.html The have a link with an extensive list of stoves.
Red
- No wood stoves or fireplaces whether certified or uncertified can
be used within the Air Quality Zone. Only EPA certified pellet
stoves may be used within the Air Quality Zone. Open burning
is prohibited countywide
- The
information in the outdoor/open burn section on reporting an
offender also applies here. Ditto for the phone number.
- If you think that your neighbor is not using a certified wood stove or fireplace on the yellow days or a pellet stove on red days, you can contact the Klamath County Environment Health Agency. Typically the offender is sent mailed a notice from the Agency. If the offender calls the agency, they will try to provide information. If the offender ignores the notice, the Agency will send someone out to investigate. Your name will be kept confidential, so you shouldn't worry about retaliation. The investigator will ensure that the neighbor is in compliance. The primary goal is to get the neighbor in compliance through education.
- If
your neighbor lives outside the Air Quality Zone, your out of
luck! They can burn their inside stove, whatever it is, anytime
they want.
How
good is the air today?
- Visit
the Oregon Department of Environmental Quality, DEQ, web site, http://www.deq.state.or.us/aqi/index.aspx
- If Klamath Falls isn't listed, check back a little later. They update information frequently. New readings are available at approximately 10 minutes past the hour. Use the "Refresh" or "Reload" buttons in your browser to see the most current values.
- There
is a lot of information here. For example, you can learn what
constitutes good air and how the DEQ rates air using the Air
Quality Index, AQI
- Not
sure what the colors mean when checking the air quality? Well
there is a good explanation here: http://www.airnow.gov/
Where
can I get more information?
- Visit
the Klamath County Environment Health web site, http://www.co.klamath.or.us/EH/index.html
- They
have an extensive list of pdf's with concise answers to most
questions. You can also find contact numbers and email address
for officials. I've had a good response to emails, usually within
24 hours during the week. They also have another phone number
that was not listed on the site, 883-1122.
Final
Note
- I
hope you found this information helpful.
- If
you need additional assistance with the information on this page,
contact me here by email.
- This
is an UNOFFICIAL web site!!! I posted this information because
it is hard to find! I received no reimbursement from state or
local agencies for posting this information. To the best of my
knowledge, all the information was accurate.