Why are burn bans passed anyway? In the past months there were three controlled burns in Brookings County that got out of control for various reasons. The bans are passed to protect public safety and property during periods of high wildfire risk and poor air quality.
What is a controlled burn? It is when a person plans to burn something on their property, such as a brush pile or an old house that needs to be destroyed.
Prior notification required
No person shall start an open burning without first notifying Brookings 911 at the non-emergency line 605-692-2113 providing the burners name, address, phone number and location of the burn.
Why do they need to do that? In case it gets out of control it will facilitate sending out the correct fire department to help put out the fire if needed. The 911 dispatchers then let the appropriate fire chief know what is happening in case someone sees a fire and thinks that it is a dangerous situation. Remember that 99 percent of our firefighters are volunteers and, if I might brag a little, the best bunch of men and women I have ever seen in action.
In Brookings County there is a County Fire Association that all our local and surrounding counties’ fire departments belong to. When conditions get extremely dry and there is no rain in the forecast, they can contact the County Commission and request a burn ban. This is what occurred earlier this year when there were several fires that got out of control.
When a burn ban is enacted then, according to our Brookings County Nuisance Ordinance, Ordinance #2001-02, it means you cannot do any open burning: The intentional burning of any substance, whether natural or manmade, or the intentional casting off of any burning substance, whether natural or manmade.
Authority to declare fire danger emergency
- When weather or other conditions exist which may make the open burning of any substance unduly hazardous and a danger to public safety, the Brookings County Commission may by resolution declare a fire danger emergency (also known as a burn ban).
- If a fire danger emergency be declared, all open burning of any substance without a prior written permit shall be prohibited within any or all the unincorporated areas of Brookings County until such time as the resolution declaring the fire danger emergency shall have been rescinded by appropriate action of the Brookings County Commission.
- Any person who shall create, commit, maintain or permit to be created, committed or maintained an open burning without a prior written permit in violation of a resolution declaring a fire danger emergency shall be deemed to have committed a public nuisance in violation of this ordinance, and subject to all criminal and civil penalties provided for herein.
- No fire danger emergency Declaration shall be deemed to apply to campfires or bonfires on land owned by the South Dakota Game, Fish and Parks Department.
- Prior written permits required: No person may receive and burn on such persons property any material, including trees, owned by, produced or grown by any other person without obtaining a prior written permit to do so.
There are exceptions, and these are as follows:
- The burning of any such substance in an approved container is sufficient to prohibit the escape of any of the burning substances, or any sparks, flames or hot ashes from the container. The escape of any such burning substance, or the escape of any sparks, flames or hot ashes from any such container shall be deemed prima facie evidence that the container was insufficient so as to meet the exception from the definition of an open burning set forth herein. Such container must be located such that the smoke from the fire does not travel to any occupied structure not owned by the person starting the fire.
- The maintaining of a fire in any interior fireplace, stove or furnace.
- Campfires and bonfires which are used solely for recreational purposes, for ceremonial occasions, or for outdoor preparation of food; provided that such campfire or other fire is started and maintained so as to prevent the escape of any burning substances, sparks, flames or hot ashes and so as to prevent the smoke from such campfire or other fire from traveling to any occupied structure not owned by the person starting the fire.
- Campfires and bonfires on land owned by the South Dakota Game, Fish and Parks Department.
Ordinance #24-04 prohibits open burning when the National Weather Service has declared a red flag warning in the county or when the grassland fire danger rating in the county reaches very high or extreme, meaning wildfire and dangerous fire hazards exist.
The Brookings Register discussed the new rules on July 3, 2024, when reporter Mondell Keck wrote that the new ordinance essentially enacts an automatic burn ban in the county via its Office of Emergency Management whenever appropriate weather conditions present themselves. These conditions are:
- When the National Weather Service has issued a red flag warning in the county.
- When the Grassland Fire Danger Rating in the county reaches very high or extreme.
Once the red flag warning expired, then this would expire automatically, Hill said. So, we would announce that also.
You would still encourage people that, at any time if theyre going to burn, to notify dispatch? Commissioner Larry Jensen inquired.
Yes. In the actual nuisance ordinance it recommends that anytime you burn out in the county, just go ahead and call the non-emergency line at 605-692-2113, Hill said.
Be safe out there and always keep an eye on the sky .
Bob the EM
Leave a Reply