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Lead adopts temporary burn ban as drought conditions heighten fire risk
Summary
The Lead City Commission voted unanimously on Aug. 3 to adopt Resolution #2026-04 declaring an immediate temporary burn ban within city limits due to extremely dry conditions. The ban prohibits most open burning, with limited exceptions for propane/natural-gas cooking and supervised charcoal grills.
The Lead City Commission unanimously adopted Resolution #2026-04 on Aug. 3, 2026, declaring an immediate temporary burn ban within the city's corporate limits to address elevated fire danger. Commissioner Valerie Meiners moved to adopt the resolution and Commissioner Dory Hanson seconded; Mayor Dustin Heupel and all four commissioners voted aye.
The resolution, adopted under SDCL 9-19, prohibits open burning including trash, yard waste, slash piles, campfires, bonfires and backyard fire pits until the commission rescinds or modifies the ban. Section 3 lists limited exceptions: outdoor cooking appliances fueled by propane or natural gas and charcoal grills used solely for cooking when attended. Section 4 establishes enforcement and notes violations may be a Class II misdemeanor and that the city may require prohibited fires to be extinguished immediately.
City officials urged residents, businesses and visitors to exercise extreme caution with activities that could produce sparks or ignite dry vegetation, calling out actions such as operating equipment, towing trailers with dragging chains, using power tools, discarding smoking materials, and parking vehicles on dry grass. The resolution remains in effect until the commission determines conditions have improved.
