Commissioners lift Bartholomew County burn ban

The Bartholomew County commissioners have lifted a burn ban in place throughout this month.

Initially, the county-wide ban was enacted Oct. 24 at the request of the rural fire chiefs. About two weeks later, the commissioners enacted another that did not expire until midnight on Monday.

Due to ongoing drought conditions, residents were prohibited from building a campfire or any open burning that uses wood or other combustible material. The only exception were grills fueled by charcoal or propane, the ban stated.

Another forbidden act was the burning of debris, such as timber or vegetation. But commission Chairman Tony London said many farmers may not have known the ban had been issued.

Several farmers are in the practice of burning post-harvest debris, so law enforcement was asked to politely explain the ban to violators and request that flames be extinguished immediately, Commissioner Larry Kleinhenz said.

While there was a Nov. 12 fire that burned a wooden fence on the north side of Hope, there were no major incidents involving out-of-control outdoor burning during the ban, London said.

During the ban, there was rainful during the first full week of the month that many assumed would end the ban. However, London explained it had been dry for so long that the precipitation was insufficient to eliminate the threat of field fires.

In contrast, the rains that fell across Bartholomew County Sunday were sufficient to saturate the ground and greatly eliminate any risk, according to the National Weather Service in Indianapolis.

While daily high temperatures are expected to rise into the upper 40s and low 50s by Wednesday, more rain is expected from Thursday night into Friday evening.