The Ottumwa Fire Department wants to remind residents during this holiday season when unwrapping gifts do not discard gift wrapping paper into any fireplace, which could result in a chimney fire. Wrapping paper is a very light paper product and when on fire will float while still flaming. This may ignite a fire in the unburned products that remain in your chimney flue. The Fire Dept. encourage those with fireplaces to inspect them a minimum of every year with more inspections needed if the fireplace is used frequently.
In the City of Ottumwa there is an ordinance against burning paper outside, the only products allowed to be burned are natural vegetation items (sticks, leaves, grass). Please place your used wrapping paper in the garbage for normal collection and not your recycling container.
For questions on the open burning requirements contact the Ottumwa Fire Department at 641-683-0667.
