Burn Ban details

Friday, September 20, 2024

By IVY JACOBS, Times Co-Editor

Clay County Board Of Commissioners released more dtails about the “burn ban” established Sunday, September 15th.

After fighting two field fires and an out-of-control brush fire, several fire chiefs requested the burn ban put in effect Sunday afternoon.

The Commissioners, President Marty Heffner, Bryan K. Allender, and Paul R. Sinders declared an initial “Open Burning Emergency” around 3:30 p.m.

By 4;30 p.m., further details were released about the Open Burning Emergency “Burn Ban,” incuding:

The Board of Commissioners of Clay County, in order to protect the public welfare and safety during this unusually dry period, with the advice of the Clay County Emergency Management Director, and pursuant to Clay County Ordinance 16-2012 and pursuant to provisions of IC 10-14-3-29, hereby proclaims an OPEN BURN EMERGENCY. This ban shall be in effect for all unincorporated areas of Clay County and is valid 24 hours a day. The ban shall run for seven days or until rescinded, whichever date is earlier.

We also declare that, effective immediately, the following activities are prohibited in Clay County:

1. campfires and other recreational fires, unless enclosed in a fire ring, with dimensions of 23 inches

in diameter X 10 inches high or larger;

2. open burning of any kind using conventional fuel such as wood, or other combustible matter, with

the exception of grills fueled by charcoal briquettes or propane;

3. the burning of debris, such as timber or vegetation, including such debris that results from building

construction activities; and

Burning will be allowed in burn barrels with a 1/4” mesh top from dawn to dusk only.

Charcoal from permitted grills shall not be removed from the grills until the charcoal has been thoroughly extinguished.

In addition, we discourage the personal use of any and all fireworks.

Reference is hereby made to all appropriate laws, statutes, ordinances, and resolutions and particularly to Section 10-14-3-29 of the Indiana Code. ,

All public offices and employees of Clay County are hereby directed to exercise the utmost diligence in the discharge of duties required of them for the duration of the emergency and in execution of emergency laws, regulations, and directives whether state or local.

All residents are called upon and directed to comply with necessary emergency measures, to cooperate with public officials and disaster services forces in executing emergency operations plans, and to obey and comply with the lawful directions of properly identified officers.

Any open burning that leads to the dispatch of local or mutual aid fire departments from inside or outside this county may be pursued by the responding department for reimbursement of costs under Indiana law with civil actions if needed.

Any resident, individual, and/or entity being in violation of this order shall incur a fine of $300.00 per day, with each day of being in violation being a separate offense.

A full copy of Clay County Ordinance 16-2012 is on file in the Clay County Auditor’s office.