Muscatine County approves first reading of ordinance tightening enforcement during short red-flag warnings

The Muscatine County Board of Supervisors on April 21 closed a public hearing and approved the first of three readings of an ordinance to regulate open burning countywide, including an amendment that makes it easier to enforce brief National Weather Service red-flag warnings without awaiting a state proclamation.

The change keeps existing restrictions — banning burning during red-flag warnings and when local fire chiefs determine conditions are unsafe — but adds a provision to allow county enforcement when red-flag warnings are issued for short durations that make the state proclamation process impractical. "Right. So if the weather service issues a red flag warning, it's automatic no burning in the county," said Chris, a county fire official, during the hearing.

Dale Maxson of The Nature Conservancy in Iowa, who said his group uses prescribed fire to manage fire-adapted lands, told the board the clarification would help land managers schedule and carry out safe burns. "We use prescribed fire as a tool to manage a lot of our lands... having that window, more clearly defined is even better," Maxson said.

The board recorded a roll-call vote closing the public hearing and then voted in favor of the ordinance on its first reading. Supervisors noted there will be two additional readings and public-comment opportunities before the ordinance could be adopted in final form.

The county said the National Weather Service posts red-flag warnings online, the county posts alerts on its Facebook page and subscribers can get text-message alerts; the state fire marshal's office also posts information. County staff and supervisors encouraged residents to check those sources for up-to-date burn conditions.