Talbot County enacts burn ban

EASTON — Talbot County Council enacted a burn ban Friday afternoon as a heat wave makes its way through Maryland and local fire departments are seeing increased activity.

Council members held a special meeting Friday to discuss the burn ban, which prohibits all “open-air burning.” It will last for 30 days, until July 21, unless another resolution is passed to end or extend the ban.

A county press release defined open-air burning as “burning any material in the open or in a receptacle other than a furnace, … including use of fireworks, sparklers, or sparkling devices.”

Backyard fire pits are also prohibited. Gas grills and propane stoves are allowed.

Sonny Jones, fire chief for Easton Volunteer Fire Department, has seen increased calls in the county during this spell of hot and dry weather.

“Right now it’s so dry, just something as simple as a spark coming from a vehicle … or an ember that flies from someone who has a burn that they’re watching, … can spread very, very rapidly,” Jones said.

As the Fourth of July holiday approaches, Chris Robertson, state fire supervisor for the Maryland Forest Service, recommends all residents wait for rain before burning. He said county burn bans will help reduce dangerous usage of fireworks and sparklers.

“In Maryland, fireworks are pretty much limited to ground-based fireworks,” Robertson said. “So hopefully there won’t be too much of that. We do usually have some issues with fireworks, but not a great deal.”

Somerset County and Wicomico County both enacted burn bans Thursday. In Talbot, public officers may enter private or public property to put out a fire and confiscate fireworks or sparklers during the ban.