ST. PAUL – During the Jan. 9 County of St. Paul council meeting, council received a request from a resident in Lindbergh asking the municipality to consider performing a controlled burn of thick grasses and undergrowth on County-owned land adjacent to the resident’s property.
The resident is worried about a potential fire hazard with the thick grass, said Jason Storch, director of Community Services, while presenting the item during the meeting.
“There are certainly some inherent risks that come with lighting a fire and hoping it does what you want it to do,” added Storch.
The resident’s letter, attached to the agenda, indicates they are worried that if an uncontrolled fire occurs, it could cause a hazard to homes located nearby.
“It was quite tense here last year when things were so tinder dry for so long. I was sure keeping my fingers crossed that some spark would not set things alight. My guess is that 2024 may even be worse,” reads the resident’s letter, whose name was not disclosed in the public agenda documents presented at the meeting.
Coun. Dale Hedrick asked if the County could sell the property, and in response Coun. Darrell Younghans said he believed the property could not be sold due to a water well located on the site.
Reeve Glen Ockerman asked if the County had performed controlled fire burns in the past, and Storch said the County has not.
There are other situations similar to the resident’s concern throughout the County, according to Storch. “And my understanding is that... we’ve been hesitant to move forward with [prescribed burning as a] vegetation management strategy,” due to the lack of resources.
Coun. Louis Dechaine made a motion to deny the request by the resident. The motion was carried.
In follow-up discussions with Reeve Glen Ockerman, he noted the biggest reason for the decision was the risks involved, as well as the lack of resources, including manpower and knowledge.
“It’s not like [prescribed burning] is a service we’ve suspended or don’t do anymore,” he said. The County has never offered the service.
Ockerman also said that no uncontrolled burns on County-owned property have occurred in the past, and County-owned properties are maintained to mitigate risks.
“The grass is being mowed where we can,” said the reeve.
