Burn Ban In Effect In OKC, 11 Oklahoma Counties

Officials in 11 Oklahoma counties and in Oklahoma City have issued burn bans due to the danger of wildfires.

Oklahoma Forestry Services says the highest fire danger on Tuesday is roughly west of a line from Beckham County to Alfalfa County in the northwestern corner of the state. The agency says dry conditions combined with low humidity from the single digits to about 20 percent and south-southwesterly winds of 10-15 miles per hour and gusts of 20 miles per hour contribute to the danger of wildfires.

The burn ban in Oklahoma City prohibits all outdoor burning except for cooking in gas and charcoal grills and in smokers. Countywide burn bans are in place for Blaine, Canadian, Cotton, Grady, Jefferson, Latimer, McIntosh, Payne, Pittsburg, Stephens and Tillman counties.

The Edmond Fire Department is also placing the City of Edmond under a burn ban. The department is stopping all burning permits until further notice.

The dry conditions have reached a dangerous level, and the Edmond Fire Department would like to ask all citizens to cooperate and be extremely careful with outdoor cooking and/or use of outdoor fire places or other devices.

Any fire started during these conditions could easily get out of control. Any type of fireplace ashes or charcoal needs to be put in a steel bucket and completely doused with water, stirred and left for several hours before discarding.

Burn Bans In Oklahoma!

According to the Oklahoma City Fire Department, anyone caught open burning without a permit or during a burn ban could be fined anywhere from $177.00 to $1200.00.

1/21/2014 Related Story: Commissioners Issue 30-Day Burn Ban for Grady County