(Stillwater, Okla) – The Payne County Board of Commissioners voted unanimously Thursday to continue the burn ban for Payne County.
It shall be 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.
In addition, it shall be unlawful for any person to shoot off fireworks due to the extremely dry weather conditions.
The exceptions to this fire prohibition and the appropriate precautionary measures to be taken are as follows: Indoor fire places, commercial or professional covered cookers used for business purposes only, 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; and
4) If the property where the burn is planned is owned by or in the possession of the Board of Regents for the Oklahoma Agricultural and Mechanical Colleges, or Oklahoma State University or any of its colleges or departments, the burn plan must be approved in writing by the Oklahoma State University Fire Marshal (405-744-7241) prior to beginning the burn.
Law enforcement officers who respond to a violation can issue a misdemeanor citation. Any person convicted of violating burn ban 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.
***
