TULSA, Okla. — There's high fire danger in Green Country throughout the week, but no county has declared a burn ban.
2 News was curious what guidelines are required for a burn ban and why we don't have one yet.
Here's what we learned.
What is a burn ban?
A burn ban is a ban on burning enforced by state law.
A county-issued burn ban is passed by a vote of the county commissioners. The resolution can be for up to 14 days. Any person convicted of a violation of a county-issued burn ban shall be guilty of a misdemeanor and subject to a fine of not more than $500, imprisonment for up to one year or to both.
A Governor-issued burn ban is proclaimed by a resolution signed by the Governor. Requests for the proclamation are made to the Governor by the Forestry Services Division of the Department of Agriculture, Food and Forestry through the Secretary of Agriculture. State-issued burn bans remain in place until conditions improve (as determined by State Forestry). Any person convicted of a violation of a Governor-issued burn ban shall be guilty of a misdemeanor and subject to a fine of not more than $1000, imprisonment for up to one year or to both.
What criteria are required to impose a burn ban?
County burn ban criteria are a subset of those used by OFS to recommend a Governor-proclaimed ban.
The intent is to make it easier for county burn bans to be issued and removed (allowing for rapid changes in local conditions). County Commissioners determine need based on advice from local fire chiefs.
Before passing a burn ban, commissioners must declare the existence of extreme fire danger.
State law defines extreme fire danger as:
- Severe, extreme, or exceptional drought conditions exist within the county as determined by the National Oceanic and Atmosphere Administration (NOAA)
- No more than one-half inch of precipitation is forecast for the next three days by the National Weather Service
As well as either of the following:
- Fire occurrence is significantly greater than normal for the season or initial attack on a significant number of wildland fires has been unsuccessful due to extreme fire behavior
- Where data is available, more than 20% of the wildfires in the county have been caused by escaped debris burns or controlled burns.
Should we expect burn bans this week?
2 News asked Tulsa County and the Governor's office where they are at with the fire danger this week.
The Governor's office said Gov. Stitt is closing monitoring conditions and is in contact with Forestry Services to see if a burn ban is needed. His spokesperson said as of Wednesday, they haven't received any requests from Forestry Services for a ban.
Tulsa County Emergency Manager Joe Kralicek said Tulsa County hasn't met the requirements to issue a burn ban, but they are closely monitoring as well.
Conditions can change quickly, however. If there is fire danger, you should always double-checkthe burn ban map before burning.
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