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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
February 23, 2018
Governor’s Burn Ban Modified to Cover Only 16 Counties, Remove Expiration Date
OKLAHOMA CITY – Lt. Gov. Todd Lamb today modified the 52-county
burn ban. The modified ban now covers just 16 western Oklahoma counties after
rains brought some relief to central Oklahoma. It also will remain in effect
past the original deadline of midnight March 2.
The modified governor’s ban covers:
Beaver, Beckham, Cimarron,
Custer, Dewey, Ellis, Greer, Harmon, Harper, Jackson, Kiowa, Roger Mills,
Texas, Washita, Woods and Woodward counties.
“Drought conditions remain in
western Oklahoma and the threat of wildfire remains a concern in those
counties, a concern I witnessed firsthand about a year ago when hundreds of thousands of acres were burned and many of our farm families suffered devastating losses,” said Lamb, who is acting governor while Governor Mary Fallin is
attending Council of Governors and National Governors Association meetings in
Washington, D.C. “The moisture we received in parts of the state has given us a
reprieve, but our fire season is definitely not over.”
An ongoing analysis of conditions
is conducted by Oklahoma Forestry Services (OFS) to make recommendations to the
governor’s office. This includes analysis of fire activity, wildland fuel
conditions, and the predicted continued drought. Long-range forecasts are
calling for a winter/spring fire season to continue until April.
“Though several counties are not
covered by burn bans, conditions are still conducive to sustaining wildland
fire,” said George Geissler, Oklahoma state forester. “I ask all Oklahomans to
be very cautious with activities that could spark a wildfire such as grilling,
campfires, or any other outdoor burning. We aren't out of the woods yet.”
In the counties no longer covered
by the governor-proclaimed burn ban, citizens are urged to check with local
officials or visit www.forestry.ok.gov/burn-ban-info
to see if county burn bans have been enacted before doing any type of burning.
“We are still in our winter fire season, and
we could find ourselves right back in high fire danger within a week or so,”
said Geissler. “The rain just gave firefighters a break from the extreme fire
behavior that necessitated the burn ban.”
Unlawful activities under the ban include campfires,
bonfires, and setting fire to any forest, grass, woods, wildlands or marshes,
as well as igniting fireworks, or burning trash or other materials outdoors.
LPG and natural gas grills and charcoal-fired cooking outside
in a grilling receptacle are permitted, provided the activity is conducted over
a non-flammable surface and at least 5 feet from flammable vegetation, but any
fire resulting from grilling or use of one of the cookers or stoves is still
considered an illegal fire.
As part of the governor’s burn ban, there are
exemptions for many items, such as welding and road construction. For more
specific information and details, visit www.forestry.ok.gov/burn-ban-info or call Michelle Finch-Walker with OFS at (580) 236-1021.
Note
to Media
For
the latest Oklahoma “Daily Wildfire Situation Report” visit www.forestry.ok.gov and
click the link on the homepage (green box on right hand side.) The report
contains information about recent fire activity, predicted fire weather and a
link for current burn bans.
About
Oklahoma Forestry Services
Oklahoma
Forestry Services (OFS), a division of the Oklahoma Department of Agriculture,
Food and Forestry, is committed to conserving, enhancing and protecting
Oklahoma’s 12.5 million acres of forests and woodlands. Since 1925, OFS has
worked with individuals and communities throughout the state to create
resilient landscapes, fire-adaptive communities and provide wildfire
response. Headquartered in Oklahoma City, the division also has regional
offices in Broken Bow, Goldsby, Wilburton and Tahlequah. For more
information, visit www.forestry.ok.gov.
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