Hill County Commission implements burn ban

The Hill County Commission implemented a burn ban in the county Thursday, effective at 12:01 this morning.

Commissioner Mike Wendland said the commission agreed to implement a burn ban due to dry conditions after participating in a regional fire conditions conference call with the state Department of Natural Resources and Conservation Tuesday.

Blaine County has had a burn ban in effect since July 37. Liberty and Chouteau county officials said their counties do not have bans in effect.

The Hill County Commission agreed to specifically set what the restrictions were, and sent out a notice Thursday afternoon.

“We need to be able to define to the public what open burning is,” Hill County Sheriff Jamie Ross said during the meeting.

In the statement Thursday afternoon, the commission defined open burning as “a fire where any material is burned on the ground or in an open receptacle other than a furnace, incinerator, or other equipment connected to a stack or chimney. Open burning includes burning yard debris, brush, construction debris, etc.”

In Hill County people are required to get a permit from their local fire district to take part in any open burning at any time.

Thursday’s notice says permits will not be issued during the ban.

“Any burn ban enacted by Hill County will prohibit open burning as defined and prohibit fire districts from issuing burn permits,” it says. “Burn permits previously issued cannot be activated during a burn ban. With the exceptions of recreational camp fires in established fire pits or commercial fire rings will be allowed at this time. Recreational campfires must be attended at all times.”

The Hill County commissioners made a list of precautions for the public to take pertaining to fire safety:

• Ensure recreational camp fires are attended.

• Ensure you have the means to extinguish a campfire quickly.

• Be aware of the current wind and weather conditions.

• Ensure recreational fires are kept to a manageable size and are properly extinguished.

• Avoid driving or parking vehicles in tall, dry grass.

• Make sure safety chains on trailers or other equipment are not dragging creating sparks.

• Dispose of smoking materials properly. In a vehicle use an ash tray; outside, crush smoking materials and matches on bare ground in an area larger than three feet in diameter.

• Make sure all mechanical outdoor equipment — such as tractors, chainsaws and off-road vehicles — are equipped with properly working mufflers, spark arresters and bearings.