County burn ban has ag exceptions

Staff writer

[email protected]

Roosevelt County commissioners approved an exception to its county burn ban Tuesday by allowing agricultural burning.

The commission allowed agricultural burning because farmers have a limited time, due to the agricultural season, to plow land and burn weeds on their land.

The ban on open burning continues in the county as the commission has declared a fire danger emergency.

The ban includes camp fires, open fires, open burning of vegetation or rubbish and any other smoke producing substance and material that creates a fire safety hazard for 45 days.

County Manager Charlene Webb said the only land that can be burned is crop land that has been established by the United States Department of Agriculture’s Farm Service Agency.

Alan Carter and Alva Carter Jr. came to the meeting and talked to the commissioners about their own land they wanted to burn.

Alva Carter Jr. said to be compliant with being an organic farm, they must burn the weeds and they need to start plowing the field.

Alva Carter Jr. handed each commissioner photos of their land and what he and Alan Carter are planing to do with the land.

“We have been waiting and it is our own private land. We just need to move on the land,” Alva Carter Jr. said.

Commission Chairman Kendell Buzard told the Carters an agricultural burning provision can work as farmers have the resources to help combat fires.

Alva Carter Jr. said they can use their tractors to make a trench around the place they want to burn as the fire can be more contained.

Webb said when a farmer wants to burn, they must either call the fire department or dispatch center so the fire department can be on standby.

Alva Carter Jr. asked if they needed to call the county when they were going to burn and Webb said it would be helpful as the Road Department can be ready with blades if the fire gets out of hand.

“We want to follow the rules as closely as possible,” Alva Carter Jr. said.

The commissioners also approved a resolution to declare emergencies with regard to sale and use of certain fireworks. The ban will not go into effect until June 10 and it will be for 30 days.

The fireworks that are banned are stick-type rockets, helicopter and aerial spinners, missile-type rockets, ground audible devices, firecrackers and displayed fireworks.

It also limits the use of fireworks not on that list to areas that are paved or barren or that have a readily accessible source of water for use by the homeowner or the general public. It will also ban the use of all fireworks within wildlands in its jurisdiction, after consultation with the state forester.

It will also ban the sale or use of display fireworks within the unincorporated areas of Roosevelt County. The ban will have no effect within the city limits of Portales.