State police of the Troop L coverage area, which includes the counties of Berks, Lebanon and Schuylkill, are asking residents to be careful of any control burns they plan to conduct.

Troopers said as spring approaches residents gather up yard waste that has accumulated over the long winter season and burn the waste materials.Troopers said residents should first check with their municipalities to see if they are permitted to burn, and if so, what rules or regulations they must follow to burn the items.Also, if permits are required by the municipalities, they should be secured before burning.Failure to control and maintain a controlled burn may result in criminal charges ranging from a summary offense to up to a felony offense.