Serving O'Brien & Clay Counties
Serving O'Brien & Clay Counties
Osceola County now barred from open burning
According to the U.S. Drought Monitor, parts of Clay and O'Brien counties are listed as experiencing four different stages of drought ranging from abnormally dry to extreme.
Open burning in Osceola County is prohibited indefinitely following a request granted Friday by the Iowa State Fire Marshal.
The ban will be in place until dry and windy conditions dissipate. The request was submitted to state officials by Osceola County Emergency Management Coordinator Dan Bechler, who did so with the support of all fire departments in the county.
Osceola County joins nine other counties in the state with open burning bans. A burn ban in O'Brien County has been in place since Sept. 19.
According to the order, "open burning constitutes a danger to life or property" during periods of extended dryness. The prohibition may only be rescinded after local officials notify the state fire marshal that conditions have eased. Other counties with burn bans in place include: Sioux, Plymouth, Cherokee, Woodbury, Monona, Crawford, Kossuth and Hancock.
Dry conditions have been exacerbated recently thanks to a lack of rain in August and September. According to the U.S. Drought Monitor, parts of Clay and O'Brien counties are listed as experiencing four different stages of drought ranging from abnormally dry to extreme.
Those who violate the burn bans will be subjected to a simple misdemeanor charge. The order does not prohibit a supervised, controlled burn that has been issued a permit by the fire chief of the fire district where the burn will take place, the use of outdoor fireplaces, barbecue grills, properly supervised landfills, or the burning of trash in incinerators or trash burners made of metal, concrete, masonry or heavy one-inch wire mesh with no openings greater than one square inch.
