Burn Amnesty Week beginning this spring

Thanks to a county ordinance, St. Joseph County temporarily suspends the burn ban for one week in the spring and one week in the fall. The Amnesty Week permits county residents to burn leaves as long as the burn piles are at least 200 feet from any other residence, business, school, elderly care, assisted living, or other health care facility.

The Amnesty Week is in effect until April 25.

The burn ban, which is usually in effect all year long, has been a touchy subject for residents in the past. Some residents have gone as far as to try to get this week banned.

One Facebook page, "Ban Leaf Burning in St. Joseph County," is a group for some of those residents.

One comment from October 2014 says, "I thought leaf burning was banned.... There was so much smoke in our area and it was invading my space." 

But for now, Burn Amnesty Week is still approved by St. Joseph officials. The county is aware of the safety risks involved with this week.

They recommend that all people who decide to burn during this week remember to consider weather conditions and other people nearby when choosing the time of day to burn.