Luzerne County Council calls emergency meeting to vote on outdoor burning ban

Luzerne County Council is holding an emergency meeting at 5 p.m. this evening to vote on a resolution enacting a 30-day outdoor burning ban due to dry conditions in the region.

The meeting is in the county courthouse on River Street in Wilkes-Barre, with instructions for remote attendance posted under council’s online meetings link at luzernecounty.org.

According to a resolution attached to the agenda:

County Manager Romilda Crocamo and council are recommending regulating outdoor burning in cooperation with the county’s paid and volunteer fire departments and the Pennsylvania Bureau of Forestry.

State law authorizes counties to impose temporary countywide bans on open fires.

Crocamo believes a ban is warranted based on above-average temperatures and below-average precipitation in the long-term forecast.

Open burning is defined as the outdoor ignition and subsequent burning of any combustible material — garbage, leaves, grass, twigs, litter, paper, vegetative matter involved with land clearing or any sort of debris — in a screened or unscreened burn barrel, fire ring or on the ground.

The use of propane or gas stoves, charcoal briquette grills or tobacco in any form is not covered under the state act.

Campfires in campgrounds are allowed in fire rings that confine and contain the campfire if all flammable materials have been removed within a 5-foot radius.

County adoption of a ban requires a written recommendation from the district forester verifying requests for a ban from at least 10 fire chiefs from various sections of the county.

Council may extend the ban an additional 30 days upon the district forester’s recommendation.

The county ban supersedes any contradicting municipal ordinance.

Police must enforce the ban.

Violations are a summary offense carrying a fine upon conviction of up to $100 for the first offense, $200 for the second offense and $300 for the third.

The ban will take effect 48 hours after the county provides public notice.

There is precedent for a county burn ban.

In May 2008, for example, then-commissioners enacted a temporary ban requested by the state Bureau of Forestry. Another was imposed in August 1999 amid a drought and series of brush fires.