Mary Alice Reporting –
For the fall season a statewide burn ban is back in effect.
The Ohio Revised Code put the ban in place October through November.
Dennison Fire Chief Dave McConnell explains this is due to the dying foliage.
“Trees and all the underbrush drying out. During the day, with the sun being out its extremely dry and when the sun start setting the dew comes out.”
Strasburg Fire Chief Steven Laskey notes that the law prohibits open burning in unincorporated areas between the hours of 6am and 6pm.
“It bans yard waste, trash, debris, even if it’s in a burn barrel or a fire pit. The main reason is these are the most dry times where we sometimes don’t get a lot of rain and there’s a lot of dry dead material. If any ash goes out, it can light dry material very quickly.”
This open burn ban includes any outdoor fires, but with fall a popular time for campfires, fire departments add that this small blaze needs to be in a contained area using clean, seasoned firewood. The fire should also be attended to the entire time and a water source nearby.
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