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Lead paint could scuttle plan to burn houses for training Fire Department proposal concerns west-side neighbors By BILL VARBLE A plan to burn five derelict houses in west Medford sounded like a win-win situation, but it's unclear whether the houses -- or the plan -- will go up in flames. The Medford Fire Department wants to burn the houses on county-owned lots on West 10th and Laurel streets. Firefighters would get valuable training in fighting real fires, and the county would get rid of some eyesores without paying to demolish them, officials say. Ed Arnold says there's a major problem with that plan: the toxic lead paint on the houses. Arnold, who lives three doors from one of the houses, showed up armed with a memo from a state toxics specialist when he and a dozen other neighbors met with Fire Chief Dave Bierwiler Tuesday night at South Medford High School. "I've lived there for 35 years, and I've seen a lot of paint go on those houses," Arnold said. He passed around a memo from Ken Kauffman, a toxics specialist with the Environmental Toxicology Unit of the state Center for Environment and Health Systems in Portland. Kauffman explained that lead vaporizes in a fire, recondenses on smoke particles and falls to the ground. "If they were to sample for soil lead before and after the burns, I think they would see a significant contamination result in the immediate vicinity of the burn," Kauffman wrote. Bierwiler said the plan took shape after county officials approached the department with the idea. The county would use the lots for parking if and when voters approve a new juvenile facility, which would be built nearby. But he said firefighters don't want to ram it down anybody's throat. "We're here to put it on the table," he said. Brian Fish, the department's training chief, said it's been 15 years since Medford firefighters have had a practice fire. "It's the best way we have to practice," he says. The Fire Department notified residents about a week ago of the planned burn. Plans call for having extra firefighters on hand, backup water and a fire engine patrolling the neighborhood. A letter notifying neighbors advised them to keep their windows closed when the houses burn "and to notify us if you feel that smoke is getting into your home." Most of those present opposed the plan. Jim Mueller, a lawyer whose office is nearby, estimated the savings from burning the houses would be about $20,000. "What we're doing is exposing people to toxic fumes for a minuscule savings," he said. Several people said they suffer from asthma. One said her friend is on an oxygen machine. "Do we get masks to wear?" another asked. Fish said the burning would be done only on a day with a smoke index of 400 or more so the smoke would dissipate into the air. Open burning of lead-based paint is prohibited in Oregon, but fire departments are exempt from the prohibition, Anna Kemmerer, an environmental specialist in the Medford DEQ office, said before the meeting. Asbestos-containing materials have been removed from the houses, she said. "It's too bad it's downtown," she added. Kauffman's memo said practice burns are prohibited by local authorities in Portland and elsewhere but are still common in rural areas. Houses built before 1978 generally have lead-based paint. Houses from before 1950 generally have paint with an even higher lead content. Lead poisoning may cause brain damage in children and is a particular risk to pregnant women. "I don't know what they were thinking," Arnold said. "I want it stopped. There's no way they can deny they're putting lead in the air. I think training is great, but let them do it out in the country." Bierwiler said the lead hazard is hard to quantify. He said these are the only houses available for practice burns. "They didn't give them to us out in the country with fields around them," he said. But he said firefighters are sensitive to the concerns. "If we can't make you feel better, we're not going to burn those buildings," he said. The chief said officials would mull the plan over today and notify neighbors of their decision Thursday. Mail Tribune Copyright � The Mail Tribune 1999, Medford, Oregon USA