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Fire chief, HOPE team outline open-burning rules and homeless outreach in Sun Valley
Summary
Fire and sheriff outreach leaders reviewed March incident counts, explained the county burn-permit process and said the department is pausing spring green-waste collection because of processing capacity; HOPE team described housing and outreach results from 2024.
Shane Atkinson, a battalion chief with local fire and rescue, and Natasha Schutte, a sergeant with the Homeless Outreach Proactive Engagement (HOPE) team, updated the Sun Valley Community Advisory Board on public-safety activity and outreach.
Atkinson said the fire district responded to 96 calls in March in the CAV/Sun Valley area, including eight fires and 88 medical incidents, and that the year-to-date call total stands at 543 incidents for the area. He emphasized open burning rules: open burning is allowed through March and will close April 1 for the season. Atkinson described the burn-permit process, noting permits are available via the fire district website and that open burning requires a minimum of one acre and specific clearances from nearby structures. He gave the burn-line number and advised daily checks for permits.
"Once you've completed that, it'll be approved as long as you meet the parameters," Atkinson said, describing the permit and on-site precautions.
Atkinson also said the district will not run additional green-waste collection days this spring because fall collections produced more material than agencies could process and weather conditions limited processing capacity. He said residents can use four free pickup-side loads at designated facilities under existing weight-management programs.
HOPE team Sergeant Natasha Schutte described the team's work connecting people experiencing homelessness with services. The team operates Monday through Thursday with two deputies and two case managers on some days. Schutte said the HOPE team handled 2,182 community contacts in 2024, provided resources to 1,404 individuals and helped house 144 people.
"They do a lot of work behind the scenes for us, just out there trying to help get folks started," Schutte said, describing services from ID assistance to housing referrals.
Board members and residents raised enforcement and traffic-safety concerns later in the meeting (speeding, ATVs and aggressive driving); speakers were advised to call the nonemergency sheriff’s number or submit a 311 service request so deputies can target problem areas. The meeting also included multiple recommendations to capture video evidence (for example, doorbell or ring cameras) to assist enforcement.
Ending: Fire and outreach representatives encouraged residents to use online permits and 311 reporting to help frontline crews prioritize responses and to participate in planned community cleanup events.
