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Washington County commissioners approve emergency burn ban after regional wildfires
Summary
At a special meeting, Washington County commissioners approved an emergency burn ban after fire officials described severe drought and a recent ~580‑acre blaze that destroyed about 19 homes; staff will bring an ordinance next week to allow the chair or vice chair to enact or lift future bans without a special meeting.
Washington County commissioners voted to adopt an emergency burn ban at a special meeting after fire officials described severe drought conditions and recent large wildfires that have strained regional resources.
The recommendation to enact the ban came from a fire department official identified in the record as Mister Baron, who told the board his crews helped respond to a roughly 580‑acre fire in Calhoun County that ‘‘was pretty catastrophic’’ and destroyed about 19 homes. Baron said Washington County crews directly saved four or five homes during that incident and urged the commissioners to adopt the ban immediately to reduce further risk.
The county’s emergency management director (name not given in the record) told the board that a statewide public‑safety notice had been posted urging residents not to burn because ‘‘part of the state is already in a [severe condition]’’ and that the drought is among the worst in many years. The director said the county had shared that advisory on social media to encourage compliance.
Board members discussed whether the emergency resolution before them should include explicit language allowing the chair or the emergency management administrator to lift the ban without convening a special meeting. County staff said the new ordinance the board plans to consider next week will include delegated authority for the chair and vice chair; staff offered to add similar language to the emergency resolution if the board wished to do so for today’s action.
Baron also told the board that state forestry officials had indicated they would not issue burn permits during a county burn ban, calling permit issuance during a ban ‘‘an absolute nonstarter’’ because of liability concerns. He urged the board to adopt the ban now and readdress it at a future meeting when conditions improve.
A motion to approve the emergency resolution was moved and seconded. The chair called the question, members responded ‘‘aye,’’ and the chair announced the motion carried, enacting the emergency burn ban. The board also moved to adjourn after brief expressions of thanks to the county’s firefighters for their mutual‑aid work.
The board is scheduled to take up a proposed ordinance next week to formalize delegation of authority so the chair and vice chair can enact or lift future burn bans without a special meeting; the emergency ban adopted at this meeting will remain in effect until the board or delegated authority lifts it.
