PDA

View Full Version : Burn Bans - Status



starvingmusician
04-26-2006, 15:10
April 24, 2006


MARYLAND - The Maryland Department of Natural Resources (DNR) lifted the statewide ban on open air burning in all remaining counties, including DNR public lands, effective 11 AM, Monday, April 24 due to recent rainfall and projected wildfire conditions. The ban was originally implemented on March 31 due to dry conditions across the state.

http://www.dnr.state.md.us/dnrnews/infocus/fire_danger.asp


PENNSYLVANIA - Burn bans in the following counties, more being added, no recent deletions to the list (AT counties are underlined):

Adams - No burning
Bradford - Voluntary burn ban
Carbon - No burning
Clarion - No burning
Cumberland - No burning
Franklin - No burning
Indiana - No burning
Jefferson - No burning
Lackawanna - No burning
Lancaster - No burning
Lawrence - No burning
Lebanon - No burning
Luzerne - No burning
Lycoming - No burning
Monroe - No burning
Northampton - No burning
Northumberland - No burning
Pike - No burning
Susquehanna - No burning
Tioga - Voluntary burn ban
Wyoming - No burning
York - No burning

http://www.dcnr.state.pa.us/forestry/ffp/burnbans.aspx


VIRGINIA -- where do I start? There is a central source at http://www.dof.virginia.gov/fire/cty-burn-bans.shtml, but as stated on the website "The list is updated as we are informed of any changes, the map is only updated periodically and may not be current." Well, the list isn't current either. Many counties in VA notify DOF that they are currently enacting a burn ban, but fail to follow up when the burn ban is lifted. Even as of today (Wednesday), the DOF didn't know that Montgomery County had lifted it's ban on Monday morning

Virginia's 4pm burning law remains in effect through April 30th. No open air burning is permitted by law before 4 pm.

Here is a listing of all counties along the AT in Virginia, south to north.
Counties with burn bans are noted:

Washington
Grayson
Smyth
Bland
Giles
Craig

Montgomery - lifted 4/24 -- more info:
http://www.montva.com/departments/emergency/downloads//burning_ban_lifted.pdf (http://www.montva.com/departments/emergency/downloads//burning_ban_lifted.pd)

Roanoke - lifted 4/24 --more info:
http://www.roanokecountyva.gov/www.RoanokeCountyVA.gov/ResourceItem.aspx?strURL=/Resources/www.roanokecountyva.gov/Departments/FireAndRescue/Docs/Burn%20Ban%20Lifted-04-24-06.pdf

Botetourt -- lifted 4/18 -- http://www.co.botetourt.va.us/news_events/news_item_detail.php?press_release_ID=103

**********

Bedford - still has an active ban -- http://www.co.bedford.va.us/index.asp

***********

Rockbridge - lifted 4/17 -- more info: http://www.co.rockbridge.va.us/

Amherst - was reported as lifted on 4/24 -- http://www.wset.com/news/stories/0406/322011.html

Nelson
Augusta

**Albemarle - voluntary ban requested 3/17 - more info:
http://www.albemarle.org/release.asp?ID=8099&releases=current

Greene
Madison
Page

Rappahannock - lifted 4/21 -- http://www.timescommunity.com/site/index.cfm?newsid=16534334&BRD=2553&PAG=461&dept_id=576934&rfi=8

Warren
Fauquier
Clarke

--------

In Maryland and Pennsylvania, I've found the state websites for Maryland and Pennsylvania to be quite reliable. OTOH, I pretty much searched the web to find an "official" county site in Virginia, for each county, to check the current status. In cases where no county website could be found, I tried to locate the most current news source(s). I contacted some counties by telephone. Amherst County's ban was lifted and reported by an ABC news affiliate, WSET. I called the County's Department of Public and was informed that the ban was indeed lifted.

FWIW, this was a little exercise to satisfy my curiosity and take my mind off of some stressful issues. Now, back to reality...

PS - if this type of info may prove useful in the weeks to come, I wouldn't mind updating it (could even expand it). Just let me know.

Judy

starvingmusician
04-28-2006, 15:12
Friday, April 28, 2006 - quick update

Pennsylvania

Add Schuylkill County to the PA list. The only county on the AT not on the burn ban list is Dauphin.

I'm headed out to MD to do a little camping...

Judy

EarlyBird2007
04-28-2006, 15:37
For those of you not from PA, Perry County includes the Duncannon area. Perry and Dauphin (Harrisburg area) are the only PA counties on the AT currently without a burn ban. Here is a PA website that has all of the county burn bans. They update it pretty frequently. http://www.dcnr.state.pa.us/forestry/ffp/burnbans.aspx

Central and eastern PA got a nice soaking last Saturday, but we are still considerably below normal in precip. As they said on Hill Street Blues, please be careful out there. ;)

starvingmusician
04-29-2006, 23:20
Oops... how could I have overlooked Perry County! I was so happy to be able to have a campfire at our living history event this weekend. Thanks, Jim, for the correction.

Judy

EarlyBird2007
05-02-2006, 08:31
The burn ban in Franklin County, PA has just been lifted. Franklin is the first county in PA going north from MD. That means burning is permitted on about the first 24 miles in PA. However, there still in a burn ban in the next county, Cumberland, which contains the next 35 miles, through the Darlington shelter. After that, burning is permitted through Perry and Dauphin Counties, which is about the next 32 miles. Starting just before the Rausch Gap shelter, the burn ban kicks back in, and continues through the rest of PA going north.

I did some trail maintaining in Cumberland Co. last Sunday. The creeks are a little higher, but it's still pretty dry.

starvingmusician
05-02-2006, 11:22
Bedford County has lifted its burn ban effective 5/1/06.

Also, Spring Wildfire season officially ended on April 30th. It is now permissible to have open-air burning before 4 pm.

Sly
05-02-2006, 11:27
Not that you'll be cited (you could) but I think burn bans also mean open container stoves such as sierra wood stoves, alcohol and esbit as opposed to pressurized gas stoves with valves such as Whisperlites and gas canister stoves.

EarlyBird2007
05-23-2006, 15:53
The only remaining burns bans along the AT in PA are in Schuylkill, Carbon & Northampton counties. For non-PA folks, that's from Swatara State Park north to Delaware Water Gap/NJ line.

EarlyBird2007
05-30-2006, 10:21
However, it is starting to get pretty dry out there again. I did some trail maintenance on Memorial Day, and the streams are getting low again. Please be careful.

The Solemates
05-30-2006, 12:40
was in the Ozarks of AR this weekend and the ranger i talked to said if they dont get serious rain this week they are issuing a burn ban there too..