Page last updated on November 9, 2021 at 1:46 pm
For more information, please contact
Jason Moore
Fire Chief
moorja@bloomington.in.gov or
812-332-9763
Bloomington Fire Department Controlled Burn
Bloomington, Ind. - The Bloomington Fire Department (BFD) completed a controlled live burn training series at 1213 South High Street Tuesday through Friday of this week. Already slated and approved for demolition, the two-story house at that address was donated by the owners for use by the BFD as an opportunity to conduct live fire training. All of the required permits for the training were granted by the Indiana Department of Environmental Management (IDEM) and published in the Herald Times on September 21.
The permit approval was also sent to the Monroe County Public Library for public posting, and to the Monroe County Health Department. A protest procedure was described in the approval. By late October, IDEM reported to the BFD that it had received no official complaints.
In compliance with state and federal requirements, all of the utilities were disconnected and household items and components--including furniture, carpeting, asphalt roofing shingles, roofing underlayment, and vinyl siding--removed prior to the controlled burn.
The fire was ignited at 8:45 a.m. Friday morning and consumed the house by 10:30 a.m., during which time the BFD completed its live burn training. After receiving a complaint from a nearby resident about potential lead contamination of the ash generated by the fire, BFD administration immediately contacted IDEM and Monroe County Emergency Management to report the issue. IDEM has informed BFD that it is currently in Bloomington at the time of this release (Friday, November 5) to measure the extent of the dispersal of ash and take samples. The BFD will follow all instructions provided by IDEM to ensure any public health and safety concerns are properly addressed.
Local health officials recommend keeping kids and pets away from the ash until testing indicates if it is hazardous. If individuals want to pick up any of the ash they are advised to wear gloves, place the ash in a sealable plastic bag, and to wash their hands afterwards. Once testing results are available further communication will be released concerning disposal.