bporterfield@pvdemocrat.com —
A ban on outdoor burning in place for more than two months now has been lifted for nearly three dozen Oklahoma counties with Garvin County being one of them.
On Thursday it was announced Gov. Mary Fallin had signed an executive proclamation lifting the ban for 33 Oklahoma counties effective immediately.
For areas like Garvin County the ban in place since late July may be gone for now, but those planning on doing any burn related activities outside are urged to use extra caution.
“As of right now we don’t have one,” said Bud Ramming, Garvin County emergency management director.
“We don’t have a burn ban here in Garvin County.”
Ramming added there was no additional county burn ban in place to back up the governor declared ban.
The only measure still in place is a county burn ban in effect for Cimarron County in the Oklahoma panhandle.
Ramming stresses the fire danger is still high out there despite the lifting of the ban here.
“We’ve had a number of farmers contact us about getting their agricultural burnings done. I’m hoping they can get that done over the weekend,” he said.
“We’ll see how it goes this weekend. If everybody uses common sense and keep the fires to a minimum then we’ll probably continue to keep from having a burn ban.
“We’ll monitor the drought conditions, any moisture coming in and the fire danger levels.”
Anyone planning to conduct a large controlled burn are asked to first contact their local fire department before starting.
At one point this past summer all 77 counties in Oklahoma were under a statewide burn ban authorized by the governor. Since that time various portions of the state have seen the ban lifted.
“With cooler temperatures and higher humidity we are seeing a lower occurrence of wildfire,” Fallin said.
“These factors combined with recent precipitation across the state allow the ban to be lifted,” she said in a statement.
Even with ban lifted for now, all Oklahomans are encouraged to remain cautious with campfires, debris burning, outdoor cooking, welding and other activities that include an open flame.
The call for extra caution comes from the fact it’s still dry out there and the fire danger is still high here in Garvin County.
“On the eastern side of the county we’re still in a severe drought condition. On the western side we’re in an extreme drought,” Ramming said.
“But with the rain we’ve received it’s greening up out there a little bit,” he said. “We’re in good shape for a little while, but we’re still in a drought and still looking at a fire danger out there.
“We’re not in the worst drought conditions but we’re still not that far away.”
Local News
Governor lifts burn ban here
- Local News
-
-
Helping meet needs in Moore
-
Home invasion case gets new pleas
A long prison sentence and a couple of guilty pleas came Monday in the case of a couple of violent Pauls Valley area home invasions dating back to 2010.
-
Storm danger threatens much of state
It’s been a busy few days for emergency officials of all kinds with severe storms, some packing powerful tornadoes, threatening to sweep through various parts of Oklahoma.
-
Pauls Valley Wall Cloud
-
Young Grads with Honors
-
Special athletes get special support
It was special to say the least for a group of Garvin County law enforcement officers to see for themselves what an experience the state Special Olympics meet can be.
-
Derby to roll in all day fun
The tracks and vehicles may be much smaller than a national day at the races, but the fanfare and scale of 2013’s Hot Wheels Double Dog Dare Derby is expecting no less enthusiasm as engines set to fire when it returns to Pauls Valley on Saturday, May 25.
-
Still no answers in creek death
There are still plenty of questions with answers not yet released to the public in the case of a dead body found this week in a Pauls Valley creek bed.
-
New Councilman Swear In
-
Authority close to hospital loan
The next crucial step toward keeping Pauls Valley General Hospital around for the long haul is going to require a bit more waiting, but those involved in securing a lifeline are confident stability is just around the corner.
- More Local News Headlines
-
Raw: Kevin Durant Tours Moore After $1M Pledge
Weiner Launches Bid to Become NYC Mayor
Okla. Teens Get Video of Deadly Tornado Overhead
Man Shot While Questioned in Boston Probe
School Storm Protection Spotty in Tornado Zones
9-year-old Tornado Victim Loved Family, Singing
Moore Native Toby Keith Tours Tornado Damage
Oklahoma Survivors, Heroes Survey Damage
Okla. City Mayor: Up to 13K Homes Hit by Tornado
Raw: Aftermath of Deadly Attack in London
Paperless Scanner, Vision of the Future
Florida FBI Shooting Has Boston Bombing Links
Garcetti Elected Los Angeles Mayor Over Greuel
Raw: New Video of Deadly Oklahoma Tornado
IRS Official Pleads 5th Amendment
Lawyer: Feds Investigating Susan Powell Case
