McAlester News-Capital, McAlester, OK

Local News

March 3, 2009

Burn ban is back in effect for county

By James Beaty

With fire danger remaining high, Pittsburg County’s burn ban has been reinstated for another seven days.

Pittsburg County Commissioners on Monday extended the ban until March 9 at the request of volunteer firefighters in the county.

The volunteer firefighters are exhausted from fighting fires night and day, said Trent Myers, director of the Pittsburg County Office of Emergency Management.

He asked anyone who has considered outdoor burning in the current conditions to be patient.

Myers said he knows a lot of people are wanting to burn brush piles.

“I understand people need to burn, but hopefully in about 60 days the grass will be green,” he said.

“Those brush piles have been there for about a year. What’s another 60 days” when it could help prevent wild fires, Myers asked?

Large fires have burned in the past few days in the Scipio, Crowder and Indianola areas, among other sites, Myers said.

“We’re exhausting our firefighters and our resources,” he said.

Under state law, county commissioners can only pass a burn ban for seven days at a time. They are set to consider the matter again next Monday.

An exception in the burn ban has been made for outdoor grilling, which has not been a problem for firefighters.

Anyone convicted of violating the burn ban can be sentenced up to a year in the Pittsburg County Jail and fined up to $500.

Contact James Beaty at jbeaty@mcalesternews.com.

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