Polk County court lifts countywide burn ban after Forest Service guidance

The Polk County Commissioners Court voted March 20 to lift the countywide burn ban after a local Forest Service contact advised conditions had improved, the court said.

The court’s presiding officer said they had "been in contact with the Forestry Service" and that "Ricky thinks that we're in a good position right now to lift the burn ban," and then asked for a motion to act. A motion to lift the ban was made and Commissioner Pervvis was recorded as the second. The vote was taken and the presiding officer said, "Motion carries." The transcript does not record individual vote tallies.

Why it matters: lifting the burn ban relaxes a local restriction intended to reduce wildfire risk; the court also emphasized short-term monitoring and a ready process to restore restrictions if conditions worsen. One commissioner said residents should use judgment when burning and noted that safety depends on wind conditions.

A commissioner who said they publish guidance on social media recommended a wind-speed range for safer burning, saying the "recommendation for burning is 6 to 23 miles an hour wind speed. Under 6 miles an hour, you don't get enough ventilation to have a complete burn. And over 23 is just a more dangerous situation." Court members urged that social posts tag Emergency Management so official pages receive the information.

Court members discussed the reimposition process: the court noted an emergency burn ban can be put in place for seven days and the court may then return to ratify a subsequent 30-day ban if necessary. The presiding officer directed officials to "keep an eye on it and let us know if we need to do a burn ban again."

The session, held at the county regional health building in Livingston, adjourned at 10:03 a.m.