Controlled Burn Gets Too Close For Comfort For Slaughterville Man

A Slaughterville man is questioning the wisdom of a "prescribed burn" the State Department of Wildlife Conservation carried out Wednesday. 

John Willy is a retired volunteer firefighter who lives just outside the Lexington Wildlife Management Area. The state staged a 2,000-acre "prescribed burn" in Lexington Wednesday that Willy says got too close for comfort. 

"I want to know why they can do it but yet if we do it and it gets out of hand we go to jail or get fined or whatever," he said. 

A Wildlife Conservation spokesman says their prescribed burns are closely monitored, and are not allowed to get out of control. He says these burns are necessary, even during the dry windy conditions we've been having.