Every week.

That’s how often the Pittsburg County commissioners plan to consider enacting a new burn ban — at least until there’s enough rain to make a difference.

Pittsburg County commissioners responded to the requests of volunteer firefighters on Monday and enacted a new seven day burn ban which covers the county — and they also set up a mechanism to have the matter automatically placed on the agenda each week.

The commissioners made that provision at the request of Pittsburg County Office of Emergency Management Director Trent Myers.

Myers said the burn ban will now be considered for renewal by the commissioners “every Monday, until we get a significant rain.”

“We have to have over a half-inch at one time,” Myers said, defining the term significant rain in relation to the burn ban.

The resolution passed by the commissioners states that “extreme fire danger” currently exists in Pittsburg County.

Included in the burn ban is a provision that allows outdoor grilling. Myers said outdoor grilling has not been much of a problem.

Anyone convicted of violating the burn ban could face up to a year in jail or a fine of up to $500. Myers planned on notifying law enforcement officers and the appropriate state agencies that the new burn ban is in effect.

County commissioners had previously passed a seven day burn ban which had expired on Nov. 26.

Pittsburg County Chairman Kevin Smith said the commissioners passed the burn bans “because the fire departments are asking us.”

Myers told the commissioners he had polled fire chiefs at 17 rural fire departments about passing the burn ban. He said that Krebs Fire Chief Chuck Nelms had been the only one against enacting a new burn ban.

Smith said a new law passed during the last legislative session makes it possible for county commissioners to enact burn bans for no more than seven days at a time.

“I think it’s a good thing, because every county is different,” Smith said. The previous burn ban which had been passed and expired on Nov. 26 had been the first time the commissioners had utilized their authority to pass a burn ban, he said.

Smith joined District 1 Commissioner Gene Rogers and District 3 Commissioner Donald Mathis to unanimously pass the burn ban on Monday.

In action during the commissioner’s regular meeting on Monday, commissioners passed a resolution concerning bridge inspection responsibility by local government for compliance with national bridge inspection standards.

Smith said the commissioners were offered three options and they chose the second: To select one of the Oklahoma Department of Transportation’s pre-qualified engineering firms. That option calls for the county to bear 20 percent of the total bridge inspection cost, with an 80 percent federal match.

Smith said the commissioners would select Wingfield, Engineering, of Antlers, to conduct the needed inspections.

The first option would have allowed the commissioners to choose a circuit district if one was available in the area, also with the 80-20 federal split.

A third option would have allowed commissioners to do bridge safety inspections with their own force, using inspection teams and an oversight engineer fully mandated and qualified by the National Bridge Inspection Standards. That also would have required an 80-20 federal split.

In other action Monday, commissioners approved paying $6,585 based on a statement from Wingfield Engineering. The invoice was in connection with work done on a corrugated metal pipe bridge 2.5 miles north and 1.2 miles west of Featherston.

Also during the regular meeting, commissioners awarded fuel bids to Ram Inc., with Ram submitting the low bids at $1.35 per gallon for unleaded gasoline; $1.88 per gallon for low sulfur diesel and $1.88 for high sulfur diesel.

Commissioners also approved a calendar for their meetings for the year 2009, with regular meetings set for 9 a.m. on Mondays in the commissioners’ office at Sixth Street and Cherokee Avenue.

In their only action as the Pittsburg County Economic Development Authority, commissioners approved the calendar for the year’s meetings, with regular meetings set in the commissioners’ office at 10:30 a.m. on Mondays.

Contact James Beaty at jbeaty@mcalesternews.com.