Collier County has lifted the burn ban effective at noon on Tuesday, June 6. The decision to lift the ban came following a meeting between the Collier County Bureau of Emergency Services, the Florida Forest Service and the Collier County Fire Chiefs’ Association this week. The same group jointly identified the need to have a burning ban in April after certain environmental conditions were met, including a lack of rainfall in January and February. For more information, please call Mike Sheffield at (239) 252-8383 or email MichaelSheffield@colliergov.net. As the county-wide burn bans lift, the Florida Forest Service, Okeechobee District wants to remind residents to burn responsibly. Burning yard waste does not require a burn authorization from the Florida Forest Service as long as your burn meets the required setbacks and there are no local, city or county ordinances in place that prohibit burning. In some urbanized cities, open burning is prohibited; check with your local Florida Forest Service before you burn. The Florida Forest Service can also provide you with specific spacing requirements and burning hours for your area before you strike that match. In general, locate the fire 150 feet away from your neighbor’s house and at least 25 feet away from your house, any fences on the property, garden sheds, and the garage. If your property backs up to a grassland or a woodland area, light the fire at least 25 feet inside your property line. “Keep your yard waste fire no more than eight feet in diameter and create a fire break -- a bare dirt area the same height and circumference as the fire -- around the burn area,” explains Forest Area Supervisor Trevor Taylor with the Florida Forest Service. “Add to the fire as it burns down rather than creating one massive pile. Before you light, get a hose ready and keep a shovel and metal rake on hand. A shovel allows you to smother sparks and fire with dirt in an emergency while the rake allows you to quickly return logs or branches that roll off the fire.”