Ban lifted, but not in city

January 20, 2012

While county officials have given the go-ahead to lift the burn ban that has been in effect for more than a year-and-a-half, municipal officials warn city residents to be reticent of local ordinances before burning any materials within the city limits.

Big Spring Fire Marshal Carl Condray said the lifting of the ban — which Howard County Judge Mark Barr made official Monday during a meeting of the commissioners court — could cause some confusion among city residents.

“While the city of Big Spring supports the lifting of the burn ban and commends the commissioners court for the way they have regulated this practice in the county, their action Monday also brings to light the need for better understanding of how this impacts the citizens of the city,” Condray said.

“For the purposes of clarity and understanding, it is always against the law to burn trash and yard waste within the city limits. It is also against the law to burn your lawn. This is regardless of any official burn ban enacted by the county commissioners, and those who break these laws will be subject to citations and fines. Each year we make too many runs on these types of calls and these actions are still just as illegal today as they were during the county's burn ban.”

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