Burn ban lifted for communities in Chambers, Troup Counties

Published 10:00 am Friday, October 18, 2019

LANETT — Lanett Fire Chief Johnny Allen announced Wednesday evening that the burn ban for the Lanett city limits had been lifted.

He said the city received has received a sufficient amount of rain in the past 36 hours to end the ban.

“Thank you to our citizens for their patience during the ban,” Allen said. “Thanks to their patience, we have not experienced any significant ground cover fires since the ban was placed into effect.”

Email newsletter signup

East Alabama Fire District Assistant Chief Kerry Pickard said the department is also back to issuing burn permits after the most recent round of rain.

“We are issuing again,” he said. “Just remember always to use caution when burning.”

Troup County has also announced it has lifted an outdoor burn ban starting Friday.

“While it is customary for the “burn ban” to be lifted on the first day of October, the county made the decision earlier this month to extend the burning ban until drought conditions improved in order to secure the safety of all citizens in the community,” a news release from Troup County said. “Due to the increased amount of rainfall this week, drought conditions have improved, thus allowing the county to officially lift the burning ban on Friday, Oct. 18.”

Troup County said any outdoor burning must have a permit issued by the Georgia Forestry Commission and is good only for burning natural vegetative materials.

“It is unlawful to burn man-made materials, such as tires, shingles, plastics, lumber, household garbage, etc.,” the news release said.

Any fire in Troup County must also be at least 50 feet away from any structure, vehicle or fixed flammable object and at least 25 feet away from the adjacent property line.

“All fires must be extinguished thoroughly when no longer in attended use or one hour before dark; therefore, a garden hose, water supply, or extinguisher must be readily available at the site of the fire,” the news release said. “It is also important to note that citizens are responsible for their fire and its smoke. Even if all guidelines for burning are followed, there may be a requirement to extinguish the fire if it adversely interferes with another person’s enjoyment of life, use of property, or if someone with a health problem is affected.”