At their Thursday night meeting, with the recommendation of both the District Forester as well as a dozen county fire chiefs, NorCo Council adopted a 30-day open burn ban that covers the ignition and subsequent burning of any combustible material (garbage, leaves, grass, twigs, litter, paper, vegetative matter or any sort of debris) out-of-doors either in a burn barrel, fire ring or on the ground. The use of propane gas stoves, charcoal briquette grills or tobacco in any form is not covered in the resolution. Campfires in fire rings which confine and contain the fire are allowed in designated state, federal or Department of Environmental Protection licensed campgrounds.
At the request of Council members Jeff Corpora and John Goffredo, an exception was granted for Easton High School's annual bonfire so long as the local fire company and police department agree,
Executive Lamont McClure noted that the county received only 0.02 inches of rain in October, A wildfire sparked in the Blue Mountain in early November went through 600 acres of forest lands before being contained.
NorCo EMS Director Todd Weaver told Council that since October 1, there have been 140 burn complaints and 76 dispatched brush fires. There have also been 29 smoke odor complaints.
Council member Tom Giovanni asked Weaver what someone can do if he is driving along a highway and sees someone flick a lit cigarette onto the roadway sand dry grass beyond. Weaver answered that if you get the plate number, contact local or state police, who will cite the offending driver. He added that DCNR can also hold someone who starts a brush fire completely liable for the cost of suppression.
