Board ratifies administrator's total burn ban and approves radio replacement recommendation

The Smyth County Board of Supervisors ratified an emergency administrative order implementing a total outdoor burn ban after a committee recommendation and approved a public safety committee recommendation regarding radio equipment replacement.

County administration and the public safety committee described multiple recent wildfire‑risk calls and recommended a total burn ban for outdoor burning. The county administrator said the ban had already been issued administratively to avoid delay; the board subsequently voted to ratify that emergency ban. On radio equipment, committee members reported a plan to return some higher‑cost units and acquire lower‑cost handhelds, producing an estimated credit (discussed as roughly $128,000) to be used for miscellaneous supplies and accessories; the committee recommended the replacement plan and the board approved it as a committee recommendation.

During discussion a supervisor asked whether the burn ban applied to contained barrel burning; the administrator responded, “So this one is actually a total burn ban,” explaining that the county sought a broad restriction because flying ash can ignite fires in current drought conditions. The board approved the committee recommendations by voice vote.