North Jefferson County News

Town of Bennett recently issued the following announcement.

Due to dry conditions the Town of Bennett hereby orders a ban on all open fires and open burning within the Town of Bennett incorporated limits effective immediately. This Open Burning Ban will remain in effect until such time this order is formally rescinded or temporarily suspended by the Town Administrator, and such date cannot be determined at this time. 

Trish Stiles, Bennett Town Administrator, has determined that the existing conditions in the Town present an extreme danger for the possibility of wildfire and large wildland fires. The authority to implement the Open Burning Ban is provided through Bennett Municipal Code Sec. 2-9-40 (a). 

Prohibited open fires open burning shall be defined as the usage of any fireworks, and any other outdoor fires including, but not limited to: campfires; fires in constructed, permanent fire pits or fire grates within the developed camp and picnic grounds or recreation sites; charcoal fueled fire; chimineas; sky lanterns; warming fires; fires in outdoor wood-burning stoves (chimney sparks or embers); the prescribed burning of fence lines, fence rows, fields, farmlands, rangelands, wildlands, trash or debris.

The following shall be exempt from the Open Burning Ban:

• Fires contained within liquid fueled or gas stoves, fireplaces and wood burning stoves/fireplaces within habitable buildings.
• Propane/LP/Natural Gas fueled barbeque grills used for cooking or warming food, which do not produce or emit sparks or embers when used.
• Charcoal fueled grills and pits used for cooking or warming food, which do not produce or emit sparks or embers when used. 
• Propane/LP/Natural Gas fueled fire pits that do not produce or emit sparks or embers when used. 
• Fire set by any federal, state or local officer, or member of a fire protection district in the performance of an official duty.
• Public fireworks displays supervised by appropriate firefighting/public safety personnel and supported by adequate equipment assigned to be on the scene of such permitted public displays. 

The Town of Bennett Open Burning Ban is hereby implemented after consultation with the Bennett Watkins Fire Protection District. 

Any person violating the terms of this fire ban shall be guilty of a Municipal Code violation and shall, upon conviction by the Municipal Court, be subject to the penalties set forth in Bennett Municipal Code Sec. 1-4-20.  Any questions regarding the Open Burning Ban can be directed to the Town Administrator, Trish Stiles or to the Bennett Watkins Fire Marshal, Captain Caleb Connor.

Original source can be found here.