Emergency management urges pause on open-burn season as county stays dry
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Summary
County emergency management briefed commissioners on above‑normal temperatures and historically low moisture, recommending the county keep open-burn season closed until further notice and use a permit-based process for any controlled burns.
An emergency‑management official (speaker 2) told the Duchesne County Commission on March 30 that the county is experiencing above‑normal temperatures and very low moisture and recommended pausing any open‑burn season in unincorporated areas until weather conditions improve.
The official said higher‑elevation critical fire weather is expected in parts of the region and that the county is prepared to require online permit applications and inspections before any controlled burn is allowed. "We're proposing to basically say no open burn season until further notice," the official said; staff explained that applicants would complete an online application, county personnel would inspect and approve safe days, and daily inspections would be part of the permit terms.
Commissioners and staff noted the importance of public education about the restrictions and discussed possible temporary windows to open burning if moisture returns. The commission asked staff to finalize outreach materials and to file the proposed restriction language for next steps.
What’s next: Staff will finalize the proposed burn restriction language and outreach, and the county will post the permit application process; a public hearing on the related fire‑restriction ordinance is scheduled for April 13.