The Kingfisher County Commissioners voted this morning, March, 30 at their regular Monday meeting to enact a Burn Ban for the county. This was approved by all three commissioners and 100% of the county fire Chiefs.
BURN BAN RESOLUTION
The Board of County Commissioners of Kingfisher County, Oklahoma pursuant to the authority granted to the Board by Section 16-26.B of Title 2 of the Oklahoma Statutes, do hereby proclaim that extreme fire danger exists in Kingfisher County. This situation (as defined in Section 16-26.B.la-d, Title 2, O.S.) has been verified by a documented concurrence of the majority of the County’s municipal and rural fire chiefs, or their designees. By virtue of this resolution, it is unlawful for any person to set fire to any forest, grass, range, crop or other wild lands, or to build a campfire or bonfire, or to burn trash or other material that may cause, forest, grass, range, crop, or other wild lands fire. Exceptions to this fire prohibition and the appropriate precautionary measures to be taken and must meet all criteria as follows:
WELDING/CUTTING TORCH/GRINDING ACTIVITES:
I. When conducted over non-combustible surface of at least 10 feet by l0 feet and when welding blankets or screens are used to cover flammable vegetation; and
2. Wind speeds must be less than I5 mph; and
3. A fire watch, other than the welder, is posted at the welding/cutting torch site with pressurized water or fire extinguisher.
OUTDOOR COOKING: LPG, natural gas, charcoal, smokers and pellet grills for outside cooking in a grilling receptacle are permitted provided that the activity is conducted over a non-flammable surface and at least five (5) feet from flammable vegetation.
HOUSEHOLD TRASH: In areas where burning of trash is not prohibited, trash must be contained in a metal receptacle placed on a non-combustible surface of at least IO feet by IO feet and not within 5 feet of flammable vegetation; and pressurized water or a fire extinguisher is on site. Wind speeds must be less than IO mph.
AGRICULTURAL BURNING: Pursuant to Title 2, Section 4 – 7 of Oklahoma Statutes.
4. Agricultural producers burning cropland, rangeland, forests or pastures as a preferred method of managing their property shall be exempt from any resolution passed by a board of county commissioners that declares a period of extreme fire danger so long as the agricultural producers have complied with the following procedures: Agricultural producers burning cropland, rangeland, forests or pastures as a preferred method of managing their property shall be exempt from any resolution passed by a board of county commissioners that declares a period of extreme fire danger so long as the agricultural producers have complied with the following procedures: a. submit a written prescribed burn plan to the local fire department and, if within a protection area, the local office or local representative of the Forestry Division of the Oklahoma Department of Agriculture, Food, and Forestry nearest the land to be burned that shall include the following information:
(l) the name and telephone number of the agricultural producer conducting the burn,
(2) the address and legal description of the area to be burned,
(3) the objective and purpose of the bum,
(4) a list of fire departments and sheriff’s offices that are required to be notified pursuant to subparagraph c of this paragraph,
(5) a list of adjoining landowners required to be notified pursuant to Section 16-28.2 of this title, (6) a description of any firebreaks used to define the boundary of the prescribed burn,
(7) a statement of prescribed weather conditions,
(8) a description of any smoke-management considerations, and
(9) an ignition plan for the burn,
b. keep a copy of the written prescribed burn plan provided for in subparagraph a of this paragraph on site when conducting the prescribed burn,
c. notify the county sheriff and the dispatch center of the local fire department prior to conducting the prescribed burn, and
d. comply with the notification procedures outlined in Section 16-28.2 of this title.
5. The prescribed burn plan provided for in paragraph 4 of this subsection shall be deemed approved seventy-two (72) hours after submission to the local fire department; provided, that the local fire department may amend the submitted burn plan within seventy-two (72) hours after submission.
6. The prescribed burn plan provided for in paragraph 4 of this subsection shall not include campfires, household trash, debris or pile burning.
7. Nothing in paragraph 4 of this subsection shall supersede requirements set by a proclamation promulgated by the Governor under authority of this section, interfere with the authority of the Oklahoma Department of Agriculture, Food, and Forestry to enforce burning laws or change the burner’s liability as prescribed by law. Local Fire Chief will have the ultimate decision on any burns in his or her district.
Enforcement of this resolution may be carried out by any law enforcement officer of this State while working aside the Fire Chief of the district. Any person convicted of violating this resolution shall be guilty of a misdemeanor and shall be subject to a fine of not more than Five Hundred Dollars ($500.00), to imprisonment for not more than one (I) year, or to both such fine and imprisonment.
This resolution shall be effective immediately for a period not to exceed seven (7} days from the date of passage by the Board of County Commissioners of Kingfisher County, Oklahoma. If extreme fire danger conditions persist, subsequent resolutions may be passed. This Burn Ban may be removed at any time during the seven-day period by the same method by which it was approved or with receiving precipitation of no less than one half inch of rain.
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