LAWTON – Comanche County’s burn ban, which outlawed most types of outdoor burning, has expired.
Acting on a recommendation from the county’s emergency management office, the board voted Nov. 12 to lift the ban due to a reduced risk of fire danger.
“This area of the state is no longer in the extreme drought category, and we have received rain weekly over the past two weeks,” Emergency Management Specialist Thad Hulbert said in a Nov. 13 email to a Southwest Ledger reporter. “Comanche County no longer met the criteria for the burn ban.”
Hulbert said the ban will remain on the board’s weekly agenda through the spring because conditions in the county can deteriorate quickly.
The ban, which had been in place since mid-September, prohibited most types of controlled burning, including campfires and bonfires. Some activities were exempt from the ban, as long as the person performing those tasks took steps to prevent grass fires.
Violations of the ban carried a possible penalty of up to $500 per offense and up to one year in jail.