Ohio burn ban expands to more counties amid drought

COLUMBUS, Ohio (WJW) – The Ohio Department of Natural Resources announced an expansion of the statewide open burning ban on Friday, due to ongoing extreme drought conditions.

Originally implemented on September 6, the ban now includes several additional counties.

The ban covers counties identified as experiencing “Extreme Drought” or “Exceptional Drought” by the United States Drought Monitoring System. As of Friday, September 27, the following counties are included: Adams, Athens, Belmont, Brown, Butler, Carroll, Champaign, Clark, Clermont, Clinton, Coshocton, Delaware, Fairfield, Fayette, Franklin, Gallia, Green, Guernsey, Hamilton, Harrison, Highland, Hocking, Jackson, Jefferson, Lawrence, Licking, Logan, Madison, Meigs, Miami, Monroe, Montgomery, Morgan, Muskingum, Noble, Perry, Pickaway, Pike, Ross, Tuscarawas, Union, Vinton, Warren, and Washington.

State Fire Marshal Kevin Reardon emphasized the severity of the situation in a press release, stating, “The rain we’ve had is certainly nice and is a breath of fresh air in some regards, but it’s in no way close to replacing the amount of moisture we need to have in our soil in the affected burn ban areas. It’s just not enough.”

Although some regions may receive additional rainfall from the remnants of Hurricane Helene, the impact on drought conditions will be evaluated in next week’s U.S. Drought Monitoring System map update.

Prohibited activities under the ban include:

• Open burning of trash, debris, and leaf piles
• Campfires and bonfires
• Discarding lit materials, such as matches or cigarettes
• Fireworks usage or discharge
• Live-fire training events
• Flame effects in displays or exhibitions, including sky lanterns
• Using spark- or heat-producing devices for recreation

Activities permitted under the order include indoor cooking, outdoor cooking with electric or propane stoves, and the use of non-flame-based heating or electrical devices.

Residents are urged to adhere to the ban to help prevent wildfires and ensure public safety during these challenging drought conditions.

In addition to the Ban on Open Burning for the above counties, on Tuesday, Oct. 1, the Ohio Department of Natural Resources’ (ODNR) Division of Forestry’s annual fall burn ban will go into effect for all of Ohio.

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