A state lawmaker and former firefighter says Oklahoma law makes it too difficult for counties to issue burn bans, and he wants to change it to help prevent wildfires before they start.
State Rep. Mike Kelley, R-Yukon, says when weather conditions turn Oklahoma into a tinderbox, even a small spark can quickly become dangerous.
“The conditions are conducive to intense and spread and burning,” Kelley said. “Somebody that has a campfire or just burning their trash. If that gets away, the opportunity for fire spread is rapid.”
Kelley said statistics show that people intentionally burning things is the most common cause of wildfires.
He said burn bans are one of the biggest tools counties have to prevent that. “Just alert the public that, hey, we’ve got these conditions and this is this is what it means,” Kelley said. “It’s just getting that education out.”
