BROOKINGS If youve got campfire plans or want to burn some trash or land in the days and weeks ahead, youre going to want to think twice and maybe even thrice before doing so. Its dry out there, and the forecast holds no hint of rain in it whatsoever.
Brookings County Commissioner Larry Jensen raised the topic at Tuesdays meeting, inquiring if Emergency Management Director Bob Hill had any advice on how to get the word out regarding red flag warnings, burn bans and so on.
We did have some rain, but by the end of the week here itll probably be dry again, Jensen noted. Any recommendations on how to get the word out to the public when theyre doing a burn or a controlled burn to make sure they call it in?
Well, you know weve been pushing that message for over 20 years, Hill said. Even on a controlled burn on a non-burn ban deal they need to call in and let the fire department at least know where the burn is in case it just like (Monday) gets out of control (so) dispatch knows where to send them.
Hill was referring to a controlled burn that was undertaken by the Arlington Fire Department a bit past noon Monday roughly 4.5 miles northeast of Arlington, one that escaped the departments control. Assistant Sheriff Scott Sebring said no one was injured, nor was there any damage to structures or vehicles, but it did consume an estimated 189 acres, mostly enrolled in the Conservation Reserve Program and used for hunting.
He added that when a red flag warning is in effect, a county ordinance exists that automatically puts a burn ban into effect.
A lot of people dont realize that yet. Weve been promoting that over the social media networks and the county website and things like that, Hill noted.
Multiple counties in the area including Brookings, Kingsbury, Deuel and Hamlin are currently experiencing moderate drought conditions, according to the U.S. Drought Monitor, with Lake and Moody counties mostly classified as abnormally dry.
Hill also mentioned that while hes not a farmer, from what he can understand of a farmers mindset, when they feel they have to burn, theyll burn and pay the consequences later.
Oftentimes thats putting our firefighters at risk, he said. I dont know how to get that message out there any clearer than that.
Jensen pointed out that there are some farm programs, such as the aforementioned CRP, that require burning to be done by a certain date.
What ramifications or enforcement can be how are they handled? he asked.
Hill said violations of the countys burn ban itself are investigated by the sheriffs office, which then sends the paperwork to the states attorneys office. He added that the county has no control whatsoever over federal regulations.
I believe also that if a burn were to get out of hand and the fire department is on scene for an extended amount of time, they can bill the landowner? Jensen further inquired.
I am not a law type, so I do not know the answer to that, Hill said. Once again, we would have to approach the states attorneys office to get an opinion, and then he could give us an opinion at a later date something like that.
So just get, somehow get the word out on making sure they call into dispatch, no matter what theyre doing, Jensen finished.
Hill said one possible solution is, during next years township meeting at the BCOAC, to include the issue as one of the emergency management topics for discussion. Itd be a start at least.
Rippling impact
Commissioner Kelly VanderWal wants the word spread on how fire calls can affect volunteer firefighters and their employers.
Weve had a lot of them get called in, he said. I just ask the public to think before we want to light a match to something these days.
Our volunteer firemen are taken away from their day jobs to help do that stuff. As a small employer weve got a couple firemen that have to leave their day job to go do that, VanderWal noted. Thats a tough one for businesses to let people go, but it is appreciated. I just want to send that message out, you know, think. My Dad used to say to me, Kelly, you gotta think before you do something. Remember that!
With the commission not set to meet again until May 27, VanderWal is worried about the three weeks between now and then.
If we wanted to put a burn ban in, wed have to call a special meeting, he said. I dont really want to do that. I just think the public needs to stop and think, Is this really necessary? Is this really necessary? And I get it. We want to clean things up, we want to clean up that trashy-looking pile of twigs and that kind of stuff. But I just, just we gotta think about that.
As for that now-doused fire near Arlington which was near a residence on 207th Street near 458th Avenue Sebring said losses from it are still being estimated, and that the sheriffs office is continuing to investigate.
It took 50 or so people, including nearby residents with their own equipment, roughly four hours to bring the fire to heel, Sebring said.
Contact Mondell Keck at [email protected].
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