Burn Ban approved for Payne County for 30 days (July 9 to Aug. 9, 2012)

PAYNE COUNTY COMMISSIONERS 

Resolution # 2012-35

Re:  Payne County Burn Ban

WHERE AS, The Payne County Board of Commissioners 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 Payne County. The situation (as defined in Section 16-26.B.1.a-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,

WHERE AS, By virtue of this resolution, it is unlawful for any person to set fire to any forest, grass, range, crop or other wildlands, or to build a campfire or bonfire, or to burn trash or other material that may cause a forest, grass, range, crop, or other wildlands fire,

WHERE AS, Exceptions to this fire prohibition and the appropriate precautionary measures to be taken are as follows:  Indoor fire places, commercial or professional covered cookers, welding, torch down type roofing, and gas grills are permitted with adequate protection.  (Fire watch, pressurized water, or fire extinguisher.)

Agricultural burning of range and crop lands is permitted, provided the following conditions are met:

1)      Must have a written prescribed burn plan, and the conditions stated in the plan must be met when the burn is started.

2)      A copy of the burn plan must be on file with the fire department in which fire district the controlled burn is to occur, prior to starting the burn.  A copy of the burn plan must also be at the site of the burn.

3)      The fire department and law enforcement agency responsible for the area in which the burn is to occur must be notified immediately prior to beginning the burn.

(Brush piles are not considered to be agricultural burns, and therefore are not exempt.)

WHERE AS, Enforcement of this resolution may be carried out by any law enforcement officer of this State. 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 (1) year, or to both such fine and imprisonment,

WHERE AS, This resolution shall be effective immediately for a period not to exceed August 9, 2012 from the date of passage by the Board of County Commissioners. If extreme fire danger conditions persist, subsequent resolutions may be passed. This Burn Ban may be removed at any time during the thirty day period by the same method by which it was approved.

NOW BE IT RESOLVED: at a meeting by the Board of Payne County Commissioners at 9:00 on Monday, July 9, 2012.