A bill that would allow persons with a prescribed burn plan in place to have a fire during a burn ban passed out of the Oklahoma House on Thursday despite some members’ concerns.
Freshman Rep. Kevin Wallace (R-Wellston), who authored the legislation, said HB1462 would allow more local control and would standardize the Governor’s burn ban at the county level.
His bill, he said, has garnered support from major players such as the Noble Foundation, the Farmer’s Bureau and others in the agricultural industry.
Landowners would be required to have a burn plan in place 60 days before the burn and they must have fire extinguishing equipment. An amendment was added in committee that would require the local fire department to be present during the burn, but Wallace would like to see that amendment removed.
Rep. Wade Rousselot (D-Wagoner) argued against the bill. He said the requirement to have local fire departments on site would create a burden on resource-strapped rural fire districts, and that there's no good time to start a fire.
