Commissioners issue another burn ban for county

On Wednesday, July 13, Haskell County Commissioners implemented a burn ban for the county. On Monday, July 18, commissioners issued another ban.

Any person convicted of a violation of a county - issued burn ban shall be guilty of a misdemeanor and subject to a fine of not more than $500, imprisonment for up to one year or to both, according to the Oklahoma Forestry Service.

Also according to the forestry service, prior to passage of a burn-ban resolution, the board of county commissioners must declare the existence of extreme fire danger.

As defined in law, extreme fire danger means: Severe, extreme, or exceptional drought conditions exist within the county as determined by the National Oceanic and Atmosphere Administration (NOAA).

No more than one-half inch of precipitation is forecast for the next three days by the National Weather Service.

Editor’s Note: A video of the commissioner’s July 13 special meeting and the July 18 regular session can be viewed on the SNS website. At the top of the page, select videos, then government videos.

The story is in the July 21 issue.

Staff report