Madison County issues burn ban
MADISON COUNTY, Idaho (KIFI) - Due to low fuel moisture, low relative humidity and being in drought conditions, effective Tuesday, the Madison Fire Department, in conjunction with the Board of County Commissioners of Madison County, has declared a temporary open fire ban.
“Madison Fire Department has the expectation this burn ban (Stage One Fire Restriction) will heighten the public’s awareness of the extreme fire conditions we are in,” Chief Corey Child said. “We are hopeful following the restrictions outlined in this ban will lessen our chances of a large fire in Madison County. The current indices of low fuel moisture, low relative humidity and drought conditions indicate any fire started in Madison County has a high probability of
resulting in a large fire.”
According to the burn ban, the following restrictions apply: “…any and all outdoor fires, including but not limited to, campfires, warming fires, all explosives, firing of model rockets, discharge of tracer bullets, discharge of fireworks, exploding targets, welding or operating an acetylene or other torch with open flame (other than in an area cleared of all flammable materials and with adequate firefighting equipment immediately available and on hand), the burning of trash and debris and open burning which is offensive objectionable because of smoke or odor emissions or when atmospheric conditions or local circumstances make such fires hazardous.”
According to Chief Child, the burn ban does not apply to recreational fires contained within an established fire ring; wood burning stoves; roadside emergency flares used for safety; and registered prescribed burns.
You can view the ordinance for detailed information.
Violations of this temporary burn ban will be considered a misdemeanor and carry a $100-$300 fine.
This temporary ban will be in place until September 30, 2021.
According to the National Interagency Fire Center, the National Preparedness Level was raised to Level 4 on June 23, 2021. Level 4 is the second highest level designated, with Level 5 being the highest level of activation. This is the second earliest date this level has been reached since 1990. This is due to a significant increase in fire activity in multiple geographic areas, as well as an increased competition for shared resources nationwide.
