Is it illegal to burn down a building that you own? READ OP BEFORE POSTING - Page 4

[ARCHIVED THREAD] - Is it illegal to burn down a building that you own? READ OP BEFORE POSTING (Page 4 of 5)

Posted: 10/31/2012 1:02:13 PM EDT

[#1]

Quoted:

Quoted:
You might be able to get a local fire department to come burn it down and use it as training, I've seen that happen a few times in my life.

Punch yourself in the face.

Too bad he will never read this far

Posted: 10/31/2012 1:02:14 PM EDT

[#2]

Quoted:

Quoted:
Please, whatever you decide to do, ensure the local FD knows. We really don't want to risk our lives for a old barn someone was burning down on purpose.

LOL whatever man.

Even if they were called and responded, they would show up and the OP would be there. They would see it's contained to just the building and the OP would inform them it's empty and an old building. They would then sit there and watch. No one would risk their lives.

Uh, responding is one of the most dangerous things emergency personnel can do.

Posted: 10/31/2012 1:03:02 PM EDT

[#3]

Quoted:
Say I own a uninhabitable building in a rural area and I don't want to pay taxes on the improvements any more. The closest neighbor is probably a quarter mile away. It doesn't have insurance on it so i wouldn't be trying to make a claim on it. The cost to demolish it seems like it is worth more than the tax savings. Can I just burn it down? I burn brush piles all the time out here without any problems.

ALLOWING THE FIRE DEPARTMENT TO BURN IT FOR TRAINING HAS ALREADY BEEN SUGGESTED IN THIS THREAD OVER AND OVER. IF YOU SUGGEST IT AGAIN THEN YOU ARE A DUMB ASS

Have you considered having the local...

Posted: 10/31/2012 1:07:28 PM EDT

[#4]

You've already said that you own the building and do not have insurance so there would not be any fraud. However, the following issues/agencies may be present:

DNR-Burning restrictions
State Pollution Control-Smoke/water contamination
County Ordinances-Namely having a pile of debris there and a big a** hole in the ground. Also, any Tort Liabilities for cleanup afterwards. If you don't clean the site and sell the property, who is responsible for cleanup.

Posted: 10/31/2012 1:11:16 PM EDT

[#5]

Quoted:

Quoted:
Please, whatever you decide to do, ensure the local FD knows. We really don't want to risk our lives for a old barn someone was burning down on purpose.

LOL whatever man.

Even if they were called and responded, they would show up and the OP would be there. They would see it's contained to just the building and the OP would inform them it's empty and an old building. They would then sit there and watch. No one would risk their lives.

Uh, responding is one of the most dangerous things emergency personnel can do.

Exactly. More first responders are injured/killed on the way to an emergency than at the scene.

Posted: 10/31/2012 1:13:09 PM EDT

[#6]

Quoted:
Say I own a uninhabitable building in a rural area and I don't want to pay taxes on the improvements any more. The closest neighbor is probably a quarter mile away. It doesn't have insurance on it so i wouldn't be trying to make a claim on it. The cost to demolish it seems like it is worth more than the tax savings. Can I just burn it down? I burn brush piles all the time out here without any problems.

ALLOWING THE FIRE DEPARTMENT TO BURN IT FOR TRAINING HAS ALREADY BEEN SUGGESTED IN THIS THREAD OVER AND OVER. IF YOU SUGGEST IT AGAIN THEN YOU ARE A DUMB ASS

Maybe the fire dept could burn it down for training?

Posted: 10/31/2012 1:18:15 PM EDT

[#7]

I would get in touch with your local FD and have them burn it down for training.

Posted: 10/31/2012 1:20:22 PM EDT

[#8]

Posted: 10/31/2012 1:20:54 PM EDT

[#9]

Quoted:

Quoted:
Say I own a uninhabitable building in a rural area and I don't want to pay taxes on the improvements any more. The closest neighbor is probably a quarter mile away. It doesn't have insurance on it so i wouldn't be trying to make a claim on it. The cost to demolish it seems like it is worth more than the tax savings. Can I just burn it down? I burn brush piles all the time out here without any problems.

ALLOWING THE FIRE DEPARTMENT TO BURN IT FOR TRAINING HAS ALREADY BEEN SUGGESTED IN THIS THREAD OVER AND OVER. IF YOU SUGGEST IT AGAIN THEN YOU ARE A DUMB ASS

Have you considered having the local...

+1

Posted: 10/31/2012 1:24:27 PM EDT

[#10]

Quoted:

Quoted:
Please, whatever you decide to do, ensure the local FD knows. We really don't want to risk our lives for a old barn someone was burning down on purpose.

LOL whatever man.

Even if they were called and responded, they would show up and the OP would be there. They would see it's contained to just the building and the OP would inform them it's empty and an old building. They would then sit there and watch. No one would risk their lives.

Uh, responding is one of the most dangerous things emergency personnel can do.

Exactly. More first responders are injured/killed on the way to an emergency than at the scene.

That is why you do the courteous thing and call up the VFD chief and your neighbors and tell them that you are going to be burning on X night......you don't have to tell them exactly what you are burning if you think they will have an issue.

Posted: 10/31/2012 1:28:11 PM EDT

[#11]

A guy that lives across the street from my grandmother burned his house down one day. I'm not sure what the process was but he may have had to get a burn permit. No problems with it though. My grandma enjoyed sitting on the porch most of the day and watching the building burn.

Posted: 10/31/2012 1:35:05 PM EDT

[#12]

Quoted:
My FD doesn't accept buildings to burn for training. The amount of work you have to do to keep the EPA off your ass isn't worth it. You basically have to strip the house to the frame iirc.

Rules for burning have gotten out of comtrol in the las tfew years. Every single thing that the EPA deems hazardous must be stripped from the building, and the burn safety rules are prohibitive.

My Department stopped doing live burns years ago, to big a hassle.

Now we conduct our training in a sereis of connected conex boxes using hay and pallets.

Be a lot easier to demo it here. Don't know about Texas, but the EPA crap is national.

Posted: 10/31/2012 1:53:13 PM EDT

[#13]

I've read this entire thread and I can't believe no one suggest to call your local FD and have them burn it for practise........

Posted: 10/31/2012 1:58:13 PM EDT

[#14]

As long as you own it outright (so you aren't burning someone else's property);
You don't try to file an insurance claim on it afterwards alleging a loss (insuranxe fraud);
You aren't violating any open burning laws;

The only thing that might be a sticking point might be releasing hazardous materials (asbestos and ashalt siding/shingles perhaps), but...

Posted Via AR15.Com Mobile

Posted: 10/31/2012 1:58:47 PM EDT

[#15]

threads like this are one of many reasons i love this place.

Posted: 10/31/2012 2:01:49 PM EDT

[#16]

Quoted:
I've read this entire thread and I can't believe no one suggest to call your local FD and have them burn it for practise........

I agree with this guy. He's got a great idea. OP, you should put up a poll and ask us if we think you should contact the local FD and have them burn it for practice.

Posted: 10/31/2012 2:02:10 PM EDT

[#17]

You could always call the local VFD and ask them if they want to burn it for training purposes...

You got your answer from you local FD. Light it and be done with it. They're who is gonna show up if anyone calls. When they do, you didn't know and will make sure it doesn't happen again.

Posted: 10/31/2012 2:10:53 PM EDT

[#18]

Based on your scenario I can't see why not. It might require supervision but who cares. I would make sure it doesn't have any salvage value first though.

Posted: 10/31/2012 2:14:47 PM EDT

[#19]

A couple of ideas:

1) Call Red Jacket Firearms up and see if they want to come buy, load it up with tannerite, gasoline, etc and shoot it while filming for their show. You may even meet Snaggletooth and Kris and get to hang out with them.

2) Post ad on Craigslist/Backpage/Facebook/Myspace/Twitter, etc offering to host a BYOB party for the stated purpose of trashing and destroying your house. People will come from all over just to have a Project X style party.

or

3) Just contact your local fire department and see if they will come do a controlled burn for training purposes.

Posted: 10/31/2012 2:18:35 PM EDT

[#20]

Quoted:

Quoted:
I've read this entire thread and I can't believe no one suggest to call your local FD and have them burn it for practise........

I agree with this guy. He's got a great idea. OP, you should put up a poll and ask us if we think you should contact the local FD and have them burn it for practice.

I agree. Poll added just so we can get a consensus on what I should do since there have been so many different suggestions

Posted: 10/31/2012 2:21:37 PM EDT

[#21]

Quoted:

Quoted:
How many counties do you need?

A lot.

Texas is massive compared to your little island

Not really.

That is a fuckton of little counties compared to other large states.

http://geology.com/state-map/maps/illinois-county-map.gif

http://geology.com/state-map/maps/california-county-map.gif

http://www.myusoc.com/images/alaska-county-map_1_.gif

https://jobs.mt.gov/jobs/images/mt_map_with_cities.gif

Likely due to TX actually having people living in it and that it isn't made up of massively large tracts of federally owned land.

IL and CA have just as high or higher of a population density.

Posted: 10/31/2012 2:22:04 PM EDT

[#22]

Have you considered calling the FD to see if they'll burn it for you?

Posted: 10/31/2012 2:26:17 PM EDT

[#23]

Oh yeah...

In before the "Don't talk to the firefighters" crowd.

Speaking of which, if you're not supposed to talk to the firefighters, then how the hell do you contact your local FD to see if they want to burn your building down for training?

Posted: 10/31/2012 2:26:17 PM EDT

[#24]

Quoted:

Quoted:
You might be able to get a local fire department to come burn it down and use it as training, I've seen that happen a few times in my life.

Punch yourself in the face.

Why?

It's worth a try.

Posted: 10/31/2012 2:34:29 PM EDT

[#25]

And after the call to the FD....

You realize you have two "option 6" selections? For double the fun? Or double the burn? Inquiring Minds Want To Know!

Posted: 10/31/2012 2:36:34 PM EDT

[#26]

Dude don't be a dumbass. You should just let them burn it for training or something.

Posted: 10/31/2012 2:37:58 PM EDT

[#27]

Quoted:

Quoted:
Please, whatever you decide to do, ensure the local FD knows. We really don't want to risk our lives for a old barn someone was burning down on purpose.

LOL whatever man.

Even if they were called and responded, they would show up and the OP would be there. They would see it's contained to just the building and the OP would inform them it's empty and an old building. They would then sit there and watch. No one would risk their lives.

Uh, responding is one of the most dangerous things emergency personnel can do.

Exactly. More first responders are injured/killed on the way to an emergency than at the scene.

This is because El Bluelight Bandito wants to play Steve McQueen on his way to every call.

Just call your local fire department and see if they will come out and burn it for training.

Really though just call and tell them you are doing a controlled burn of a brush pile or whatever. They don't need to know what you're really burning and knowing that will let them ignore any calls from passers by about a large smoke cloud.

Posted: 10/31/2012 2:38:11 PM EDT

[#28]

Quoted:
And after the call to the FD....

You realize you have two "option 6" selections? For double the fun? Or double the burn? Inquiring Minds Want To Know!

Because this thread would not be complete without a dumbass at the helm.

Posted: 10/31/2012 2:39:56 PM EDT

[#29]

Quoted:

Quoted:
My FD doesn't accept buildings to burn for training. The amount of work you have to do to keep the EPA off your ass isn't worth it. You basically have to strip the house to the frame iirc.

Rules for burning have gotten out of comtrol in the las tfew years. Every single thing that the EPA deems hazardous must be stripped from the building, and the burn safety rules are prohibitive.

My Department stopped doing live burns years ago, to big a hassle.

Now we conduct our training in a sereis of connected conex boxes using hay and pallets.

Be a lot easier to demo it here. Don't know about Texas, but the EPA crap is national.

Which blows goats. I hate the smell of burning straw bales and it takes a week to wash it all out of your hair. A month to get it out of your gear.

Posted: 10/31/2012 2:42:11 PM EDT

[#30]

Quoted:
Say I own a uninhabitable building in a rural area and I don't want to pay taxes on the improvements any more. The closest neighbor is probably a quarter mile away. It doesn't have insurance on it so i wouldn't be trying to make a claim on it. The cost to demolish it seems like it is worth more than the tax savings. Can I just burn it down? I burn brush piles all the time out here without any problems.

ALLOWING THE FIRE DEPARTMENT TO BURN IT FOR TRAINING HAS ALREADY BEEN SUGGESTED IN THIS THREAD OVER AND OVER. IF YOU SUGGEST IT AGAIN THEN YOU ARE A DUMB ASS

Let the local fire department burn it down for training

Posted: 10/31/2012 3:01:41 PM EDT

[#31]

Quoted:

Quoted:

Say I own a uninhabitable building in a rural area and I don't want to pay taxes on the improvements any more. The closest neighbor is probably a quarter mile away. It doesn't have insurance on it so i wouldn't be trying to make a claim on it. The cost to demolish it seems like it is worth more than the tax savings. Can I just burn it down? I burn brush piles all the time out here without any problems.

ALLOWING THE FIRE DEPARTMENT TO BURN IT FOR TRAINING HAS ALREADY BEEN SUGGESTED IN THIS THREAD OVER AND OVER. IF YOU SUGGEST IT AGAIN THEN YOU ARE A DUMB ASS

Let the local fire department burn it down for training

But first, make sure you offer them BBQ and beer. Lots and lots of beer.

Posted: 10/31/2012 3:02:32 PM EDT

[#32]

Do you know how to juggle? How about juggling lit flares? You should learn...

Posted: 10/31/2012 3:04:21 PM EDT

[#33]

Quoted:

Quoted:
Say I own a uninhabitable building in a rural area and I don't want to pay taxes on the improvements any more. The closest neighbor is probably a quarter mile away. It doesn't have insurance on it so i wouldn't be trying to make a claim on it. The cost to demolish it seems like it is worth more than the tax savings. Can I just burn it down? I burn brush piles all the time out here without any problems.

ALLOWING THE FIRE DEPARTMENT TO BURN IT FOR TRAINING HAS ALREADY BEEN SUGGESTED IN THIS THREAD OVER AND OVER. IF YOU SUGGEST IT AGAIN THEN YOU ARE A DUMB ASS

Let the local fire department burn it down for training

This is what I would do.

Posted: 10/31/2012 3:12:35 PM EDT

[#34]

Call the fire department and tell them you are going to burn it, maybe they can have a truck on standby near or on your property.

Posted: 11/1/2012 10:16:32 AM EDT

[#35]

Yeah, just thought of something.

You should call the local FD and have them burn it for training.

Ed

Posted: 11/1/2012 10:20:09 AM EDT

[#36]

Go give the fire department indian burns.

Posted: 11/1/2012 10:24:50 AM EDT

[#37]

Get a shitload of dynamite.

Blow it up.

Posted: 11/1/2012 11:01:07 AM EDT

[#38]

Quoted:

Quoted:
Not really.

That is a fuckton of little counties compared to other large states.

http://geology.com/state-map/maps/illinois-county-map.gif

http://geology.com/state-map/maps/california-county-map.gif

http://www.myusoc.com/images/alaska-county-map_1_.gif

https://jobs.mt.gov/jobs/images/mt_map_with_cities.gif

Likely due to TX actually having people living in it and that it isn't made up of massively large tracts of federally owned land.

IL and CA have just as high or higher of a population density.

IL has about twice the number of counties per square mile as TX
and
Much of CA's large counties are federally owned

Posted: 11/1/2012 11:03:43 AM EDT

[#39]

Quoted:
ALLOWING THE FIRE DEPARTMENT TO BURN IT FOR TRAINING HAS ALREADY BEEN SUGGESTED IN THIS THREAD OVER AND OVER. IF YOU SUGGEST IT AGAIN THEN YOU ARE A DUMB ASS

Have you considered letting the local fire Department burn it for training?

Posted: 11/1/2012 11:17:54 AM EDT

[#40]

Hire a pyromaniac from Craigslist.

Or, offer the building for tear down and salvage. If there are no takers and there's no fire hazard, then burn that baby down. If someone complains, get forgiveness later.

Posted: 11/1/2012 11:19:13 AM EDT

[#41]

Just throwing this out there because nobody has suggested it yet, but how about letting the local FD use it for training?

Posted: 11/1/2012 11:24:30 AM EDT

[#42]

I've heard Dan_Gray is a pyro..........let him burn it down.........you know........for training purposes.

Posted: 11/1/2012 11:38:30 AM EDT

[#43]

Quoted:
I've heard Dan_Gray is a pyro..........let him burn it down.........you know........for training purposes.

Op, don't just notify the fd, let dispatch know before you burn it.

Posted: 11/1/2012 11:43:44 AM EDT

[#44]

I can't decide between Suggestion 6 (the first one), or Suggestion 6 (the second one). *sigh*

Posted: 11/1/2012 11:46:49 AM EDT

[#45]

Quoted:
I can't decide between Suggestion 6 (the first one), or Suggestion 6 (the second one). *sigh*

But it's safe to say you think I should call the FD to burn it down?

Posted: 11/1/2012 11:52:44 AM EDT

[#46]

Quoted:
Say I own a uninhabitable building in a rural area and I don't want to pay taxes on the improvements any more. The closest neighbor is probably a quarter mile away. It doesn't have insurance on it so i wouldn't be trying to make a claim on it. The cost to demolish it seems like it is worth more than the tax savings. Can I just burn it down? I burn brush piles all the time out here without any problems.

ALLOWING THE FIRE DEPARTMENT TO BURN IT FOR TRAINING HAS ALREADY BEEN SUGGESTED IN THIS THREAD OVER AND OVER. IF YOU SUGGEST IT AGAIN THEN YOU ARE A DUMB ASS

Around here it is a $25 permit to burn down a building. Approval conditions based upon building structure and contents, other nearby structures, surrounding land type/vegetation.

Posted: 11/1/2012 11:53:47 AM EDT

[#47]

OP, I know you said that most of the wood is rotten but what kind of wood is it? If it's just plain old dimensional lumber there is no value, but if it's old growth hard wood you may have some salvage dollars there.