Burn Ban details change County to County

INDIANAPOLIS (WISH) - The number of continues to grow as the lack of rain makes the conditions outside just ripe for a potential fire. While a burn ban means just that the details of what you can and can't do can differ county to county.

The State Fire Marshall says while it may be confusing, it must be up to county officials to set the guidelines.

"For the full county there's no burning and again they can define what that means. Is it no camp fires or no grilling the extent to what that means," explains State Fire Marshall Jim Greeson.

The State Fire Marshall explains there are 3 types of burn bans. One is when a fire chief decides the conditions are bad in their specific jurisdiction.

Another is when the county officials institute a burn ban, which is the most common. Lastly the conditions are so bad a disaster declaration is put in place but the Department of Homeland Security based on the National Weather Service.

One thing all of these have in common the specific details can vary, even down to who enforces the ban can differ county to county.

"I think over the weekend Warren County or one of the counties had 5 inches of rain, obviously their conditions are a little different than what the other counties so I think it's best left to that local jurisdiction.

They know their county better than someone in my position," explains Greeson.

It is up to the County to decide on use of campfires and grilling and even fireworks. But since state law allows for fireworks for the 4th of July and surrounding days, a burn ban can't override that.

All officials can do is warn people of the damage it can cause.

"Someone as a consumer in the use of fireworks you're responsible for what the damage of that firework may do and if you're setting a type of consumer firework off that leaves the ground if that falls on a neighbors property that you don't have permission for fireworks to be on and it starts a fire then you are responsible for that fire," says Greeson.

As of Monday only LaGrange County is under a Disaster Declaration. That's put in place for 7 days and then reviewed after that.

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