NELSONVILLE, Ohio — Athens County is one of more than 20 counties under a state ban on open burning, following months of intense drought.
Ohio Fire Marshal Kevin Reardon declared the ban on Sept. 6. Persistent drought conditions have created an environment ripe for fire, with dry leaf litter, grass and dead plants providing especially potent fuels.
“Earlier the conditions simply weren’t as bad as they are now,” Reardon said. “The drought situation when you look at what NOAA and others have put out has been a progressive event. It has culminated in the excessive drought conditions we see in southeast and south central Ohio.”
The ban prohibits outdoor fires of any kind, including:
- Smoking, either as a cooking method or use of cigarettes (including E-cigarettes)
- Discharging fireworks
- Lighting campfires or bonfires
- Dropping lit or smoldering material such as cigarettes or matches
The U.S. Drought Monitor Sept. 12 map shows drought conditions almost everywhere in Ohio. The most severe conditions are in eastern, southeastern and southern Ohio. That could expand the areas subject to the open burning ban, Reardon said.
“Conditions aren’t looking any better,” Reardon said. “I think two or three counties were added to the list yesterday by NOAA and the National Drought Mitigation Center. The drought is coming westward — Franklin County and Licking County got added.”
Since the burn ban was announced, a major fire occurred in Ross County.
“An electric line fell onto a corn field and that electric line started a fire,” Reardon said. “Very quickly 35 acres of a corn field was burned in 30 minutes. It took six fire departments to extinguish the fire.”
Wayne National Forest honors burn ban
The Wayne National Forest shares Reardon’s concerns about the unusually dry conditions. The forest has paused its prescribed/controlled burn program and encourages the public to report any signs of fire that they see, said Lee Stewart, forest supervisor for the Wayne National Forest.
“That way if people do smell smoke or see fire, it’s something they don’t have to consider,” Stewart said. “If people see or smell smoke, it is more than likely an unauthorized fire that they need to report.”
Stewart said brush fires are already popping up around the region, including a grass fire along U.S. Route 33 just beyond Nelsonville that started when a motorist had mechanical issues with their vehicle.
“That just shows how receptive the fuels are,” Stewart said. “Someone’s brakes overheated, they pulled off the side of the road and into the grass, into what they think is a safe place, and their overheated brakes set the grass on fire.”
Another area of concern is the upcoming hunting season that will bring many people out into the woods, said Jeremy Waite, assistant forest fire management officer.
“Our biggest concerns and where we need to educate more is when hunting season starts in a couple weeks,” Waite said. “When hunting season does start, we will increase patrols because there are a lot of places where people camp to hunt that we don’t usually patrol.”
While the Wayne National Forest plans to enforce the ban, officials don’t anticipate punishing park goers — at first. Instead, officers will inform and educate them about the dangers of the current conditions. Repeat offenders will be fined.
“Our law enforcement officers do have the authority to cite people for (open burns),” Stewart said. “However, we will always take more of an educational position. We don’t assume people are doing things with bad intent.”
Federal Regulation 261.5 empowers federal officers to issue fines to members of the public who use fire irresponsibly. A Wayne National Forest spokesperson said that those found responsible for carelessly lighting or maintaining a fire is subject to a $200 fine. Anyone who leaves a fire without properly extinguishing it is subject to a $100 fine.
Although riders can still operate ATVs with no special restrictions, forest officials encourage riders to stay on the trail and be aware of their surroundings.
“Modern ATVs have spark arrestors on their exhaust system,” Stewart said. “We know generally that ATVs or side-by-sides or any motorized vehicle, for that matter, are generally safe in terms of starting a fire or not.”
If a wildfire does start in the Wayne National Forest, a response team is ready to tackle the blaze, said Andy Pascarella, forest fire management officer. The Athens unit has its own engine and staff, as does the Marietta unit. The Ironton district has two, he said.
In all, the forest has 23 full-time staff members working on fire management. Those teams also can request firefighting support and equipment from the U.S. Forest Service and local fire departments.
“We rely heavily on our other employees in the Wayne National Forest that are … certified to fight fire,” Waite said. “We use those as a surge force when we are super dry and busy.”
Local fire departments refuse to issue burn permits
Both the Athens City Fire Department and the Nelsonville City Fire Department are refusing to issue burn permits as long as the burn ban is still in effect.
“Locally, we will not allow any permits for open burning or firework displays until the Fire Marshal lifts the ban,” Athens Fire Department Chief Robert Rymer said in an email. “If we respond to open burning, the fire will have to be extinguished. Possible citations from the state may follow.”
A similar sentiment was echoed by Nelsonville City Fire Department Chief Harry Barber in a Facebook post:
“There will be no open burn permits approved in the City of Nelsonville until further notice from my office,” Barber wrote in the post. “These orders are strict however necessary to maintain the health and safety of our communities. We are already responding to grass/brush fire calls that are being ignited much easier than seen before. The risk is very real and is being taken seriously.”
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