LAWTON – Comanche County’s burn ban will remain in place until mid-October.
With little discussion, the Board of Comanche County Commissioners voted unanimously Sept. 30 to keep the countywide burn ban in place for another two weeks due to extreme fire danger. The ban will end Oct. 14 unless the commission decides to renew it again.
As long as the ban continues, people may not burn grass, forestland or crops. Campfires, bonfires and trash fires are also forbidden.
Tasks that require an open flame or could generate sparks are also outlawed under the ban.
Some activities are exempt from the ban, as long as the people performing them take certain precautions, according to the county’s Sept. 30 resolution imposing the burn ban. Those exceptions include:
• Road construction: Road equipment that relies on propane or other types of controlled burning is generally considered safe. However, road crews should have a water pumper nearby if they are using the equipment near a grass-covered right of way.
• Welding, grinding or using a cutting torch: These activities are exempt from the ban if they are conducted at least 10 feet away from a non-combustible surface. Welding blankets or screens must be used to cover flammable vegetation.
Wind speeds must be less than 20 mph. A fire watcher, other than the welder, should be posted at the site with pressurized water or a fire extinguisher.
• Charcoal, propane and natural gas grills in a grilling receptacle are allowed, as long as grilling is conducted over a nonflammable surface. The grill must be at least 5 feet away from flammable vegetation.
• Farmers and ranchers who are burning cropland, rangeland, forests or pastures as a way to manage their property must follow the Oklahoma Forestry Service’s guidelines.