Lake County amends fire-ban ordinance to allow permitted explosive use in specific operations, clarifies camp-cooking rules

During the public hearing on Ordinance 2026-03, two members of the public asked the Board to clarify operational exceptions and safety allowances before the county finalizes new fire-restriction rules.

Ken Olson, representing LC&S Railroad, said the railroad ‘‘may need to use explosives to clear large rocks/boulders from the tracks’’ and noted that local mining operations such as Climax Mine sometimes use explosives for necessary work. Olson asked the Board to amend the ordinance to allow permitted use of explosives by the Sheriff when required for public-safety operations. Don Seppi of Sugarloafing Campground asked the Board to clarify whether campers can continue to use propane or butane camp-cooking appliances during fire-ban stages.

The Board accepted the suggested clarifications and adopted Ordinance 2026-03 with the amendments. The motion to adopt was made and seconded by members of the Board and carried by unanimous vote. The ordinance updates local rules on open burning, fireworks, staged fire bans and enforcement penalties; the transcript indicates county staff and the County Attorney worked with commenters to incorporate the requested amendments.

Next steps: the Sheriff’s office and County Attorney will be responsible for implementing and clarifying any permitting process for explosives and for communicating allowable camping appliance use to the public; the transcript does not record the detailed permitting language or any fee structure, which remain to be finalized in implementation documents.