Burn Ban Issued For Tulsa County

NewsOn6.com

TULSA, Oklahoma -- Tulsa County commissioners approved a seven-day burn ban for Tulsa County in an emergency meeting Monday, April 4, 2011.

Gusty south winds along with low relative humidity values over the next few days will create a high fire danger.

Commissioners said they surveyed all 15 fire chiefs in Tulsa County, all of whom supported the ban. 

They approved the ban after being briefed by Roger Jolliff, deputy director of the Tulsa Area Emergency Management Agency.

Jolliff said he consulted with the National Weather Service, which forecast very little rain over the next week.

Jolliff said the fire chiefs estimate that 20 percent of the recent wildfires in Tulsa County started as controlled burns.

Under a burn ban, all outdoor burning is illegal including burning trash, starting a campfire or grilling with charcoal, wood or any grill that could have exposed embers.

Anyone caught burning during a ban can face up to a $1,000 fine and a year in jail.

For more on what you should know about Burn Bans, check out NewsOn6.com's Weather 101

As of Monday afternoon, 34 Oklahoma counties remained under a burn ban.

Several counties, including Tulsa, Creek, Rogers, Wagner, Washington, and Muskogee County, are under a fire weather watch until Tuesday evening.

See a list of all the counties under a Fire Weather Watch