A burn ban imposed by the State of Kansas will be in effect in Sedgwick County this month.
State law currently allows burning in agricultural and open settings throughout the year, with the exception of the month of April, in an effort to reduce ozone levels. Fire Marshall Brad Crisp says the restrictions ban everything except cooking outdoors on a grill.
“Folks are not allowed to burn yard waste; they’re not allowed to burn brush and limbs and trees like they typically could outside in a chiminea or an outside fire pit,” he says.
Exceptions to the open burn ban include pasture, crop, range and wildlife, or watershed management, but only with a valid permit from the county. New permits will not be issued during the month of April.
Crisp says the ban will be lifted on May 1, weather permitting.
The USDA reports conditions in most of Sedgwick County as abnormally dry with the southwest corner of the county experiencing a moderate drought.
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