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Commission votes to keep county burn ban after debate over drought conditions
Summary
The Brookings County Commission rejected a motion to rescind Resolution 26-17, keeping the burn ban in place after fire officials and county staff said most of the county remains in D1 drought. The motion failed on a 0-5 roll call.
The Brookings County Commission voted against rescinding the county burn ban enacted on April 7, 2026, after a lengthy discussion with county development and fire officials.
County development staff told commissioners that recent rainfall totaled "0.2 or less" in much of the county and that "we are in a D1 drought," urging continued caution. Fire chiefs and the county's emergency contacts recommended leaving the ban in place; one commissioner said he had spoken with Fire Chief Dave Jacobson, who advised the board to keep the ban.
Commission discussion emphasized that controlled burns remain possible when coordinated with local fire chiefs via dispatch. County development staff provided the non-emergency dispatch number (605-692-2113) for coordinating any necessary controlled burns.
On the roll call, the motion to approve Resolution 26-17 and lift the burn ban recorded no ayes and five nays, and the motion failed. The burn ban remains in effect pending future review or a subsequent agenda item.
