Mercer County burn ban in effect
The Mercer County Commission, under advisement by the local fire chiefs, has issued a temporary ban on open burning for all of Mercer County.
The ban was due to the large amounts of fuel on the ground and lack of precipitation that we have received and not foreseeing any precipitation in the near future, according to Mercer County Emergency Manager Carmen Reed,
According to the North Dakota Department of Emergency Services, “open burning” means the burning of any type of combustible material directly into the open air. It includes any outdoor fire, pyrotechnic or flame producing apparatus that has the potential to emit sparks or airborne embers that could present a source of ignition to surrounding outdoor natural or man-made materials.
It also includes campfires; charcoal grill or barbeque pit fires; fireworks; garbage pit fires; prescribed burning of prairie, croplands, structures or underbrush in forested areas; outdoor welding operations; burning chemically treated or industrial materials that cannot be easily extinguished; or outdoor fires of any size.
An individual who willfully violates a burning ban established by a local order or proclamation under North Dakota Century Code section 37-17.1-10 is guilty of a class B misdemeanor.
