Commissioners enact county burn ban

July 7, 2011

At an emergency meeting on Wednesday, July 6, the Board of Commissioners enacted a burn ban for Logan County. By statute, the Commissioners can only implement a ban when statutory criteria for enacting it has been met. Criteria includes the following:

Prior to the passage of a burn ban, the Board must declare the existence of extreme fire danger. This means the following conditions MUST exist:

1. Moderate, severe or extreme drought exists as determined by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA)

2. No more than 1/2″ of precipitation is forecast for the next three days

3. Fire occurrence is greater than normal for the season and/or initial attack on a significant number of wildland fires has been unsuccessful due to extreme fire behavior

4. More than 20% of wildfires in the county have been caused by escaped debris burning or controlled burning activities, and…

5. Commissioners must also document that a majority of the county’s  municipal and certified rural departments agree that extreme fire danger exists.

Once a burn ban is enacted, it becomes effective immediately for up to 30 days. It can also be cancelled before 30 days expire, if conditions warrant. Cancellation must be done in the same manner in which the ban was implemented, by resolution.

On the same day that a ban is implemented, notification must be made to the Departments of Agriculture, Food and Forestry, Public Safety, Tourism and Recreation, Wildlife Conservation, local news media and local law enforcement officials.

Boards of Commissioners may include certain exceptions within a burn ban, and these can differ from county to county. Accessing the Oklahoma Forestry website allows you to view a map illustrating counties beneath a burn ban and the resolution pertaining to each.

When in effect, Logan County burn ban resolutions are posted online at www.logancountyok.com under the “NEWS” link. The resolution the Commissioners passed July 6 is now available at that site or by accessing http://logancountyok.com/News.php.

Mark Sharpton
Commissioner
Logan County District 1