Countywide burn ban announced for Raleigh County

RALEIGH COUNTY, WV (WVNS) — An open burn ban was announced for Raleigh County on Tuesday, September 17, 2024.

According to the Raleigh County Commission, a countywide open burn ban for Raleigh County was announced due to drought conditions in the state. The open burn ban will last until further notice.

Exceptions to the burn ban include:

• Fires for chemical production use, such as when fire is necessary for operation.
• Fires for commercial land clearing, which includes highway construction and development, and mining, as long as a permit is gathered from the West Virginia Division of Forestry before the burn begins.
• Training fires held under the immediate control and supervision of qualified instructors at a training facility ran by a fire department or government entity, as long a permit is obtained from the West Virginia Division of Forestry before burning starts.
• Fires for outdoor cooking held for fundraising events and charitable organizations. Necessary permits need to be obtained from the West Virginia Division of Forestry before burning begins, and a water source that can put out the fire needs to be present.
• Liquid fueled gas grills, lanterns, or liquid fueled gas fire stoves.

Other laws that apply to burning and in the West Virginia Code for outdoor burning will also need to be followed.

The Raleigh County Commission stated that anyone who violates the open burn ban will be guilty of a misdemeanor, and will be fined between $5 and $50 if convicted. If a person violates the open burn ban a second time, they will be fined between $25 and $100 if they are convicted.

People who violate the ban three or more times and are convicted will be fined between $100 and $500 or put in the county jail for a maximum of 90 days, or the person could be both fined and put in prison.

Not only will the people who violate the burn ban face fines or even possible jail time, they will also be responsible for the cost needed to put out the fire by certified fire or volunteer fire departments.

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