What the *&$# is on Fire!!!!!

[Fyrtwuck]

Yes, yes I know about the rules etc. My point is, I have never seem DEQ get involved in a situation involving a controlled burn involving natural vegetation, or for that matter a controlled burn that went rogue.
However, when a large chemical company caught fire here, DEQ was all over it.

And they probably won't unless they are called. They stay out of sight. If they are called, they will respond. The reason I know about them and their regs is before I retired, I had to deal with them on several occasions about issues in what we called "no mans land". The section I've been talking about is air quality. I'm sure they have a section to deal specifically with oil field or chemical issues.

 

[SoonerP226]

If he was outside the city limits.......and not in a burn ban, he wasn't violating any laws other than the law of common sense.

I'm not implying otherwise, just wondering if they'd determined what'd happened. The initial news reports made it sound like it was a controlled burn by a gov't agency, but the explanation on the radio this morning seems to indicate otherwise.

 

[Wheel Gun]

I drove by the originating spot just after the fire started, but don't know any of the property owners back in there. From what I hear, the FD isn't sure which property started it, but they're narrowed it down to two potentials. It should be easy to figure out. This whole thing was most likely someone burning trash.

I just wish that person had the opportunity to talk to the young couple that I spoke with as they watched their home burning. I wish the fire starter had been there for that sad conversation and had heard her sobs.

 

[Shadowrider]

I can just hear it now. "We need to outlaw burning if the wind is above xx MPH"

Instead of that a far better solution is maybe holding whoever it was civilly responsible for the damages they caused, I heard chatter about that this morning. Sure you can file bankruptcy, but that won't clear judgements will it? A few like this might put a price big enough on the stoopid to make people think twice. And I hope that OHP, county sheriffs, etc. are breaking it off in people that throw cigarette butts out the window of their cars. I'm a smoker and that pisses me the hell off!

 

[Okie4570]

I'm not implying otherwise, just wondering if they'd determined what'd happened. The initial news reports made it sound like it was a controlled burn by a gov't agency, but the explanation on the radio this morning seems to indicate otherwise.

Gotcha. This one shouldn't be too hard to figure out I wouldn't think.

 

[Okie4570]

Some reading for those with spare time about controlled/prescribed fire in Oklahoma.
http://www.forestry.ok.gov/Websites/forestry/Images/burnlaw.pdf
http://www.forestry.ok.gov/Websites/forestry/Images/Burn within the law, 2009 Update.pdf

It's also legal for farmers to still burn crop land even during a Gov. declared burn ban..........just a little paper work, couple of signatures, and a fax to the Forestry Service.

 

[Old Fart]

There are a couple just north of where I live that have mysterious wildfire in the ditch they dump their trash in every few years.

 

[Lakenut]

I wonder if we will ever see a large scale attempt to wipe out cedar trees in our state. Fire hazard for sure, but as many as we have in our state, I wonder what effect they have on ground water levels to boot.

 

[Oklahomabassin]

I wonder if we will ever see a large scale attempt to wipe out cedar trees in our state. Fire hazard for sure, but as many as we have in our state, I wonder what effect they have on ground water levels to boot.

Some school land leases have a requirement for leasee to remove cedars within a specified time frame.

 

[NightShade]

I can just hear it now. "We need to outlaw burning if the wind is above xx MPH"

Instead of that a far better solution is maybe holding whoever it was civilly responsible for the damages they caused, I heard chatter about that this morning. Sure you can file bankruptcy, but that won't clear judgements will it? A few like this might put a price big enough on the stoopid to make people think twice. And I hope that OHP, county sheriffs, etc. are breaking it off in people that throw cigarette butts out the window of their cars. I'm a smoker and that pisses me the hell off!

Some people just don't have common sense when it comes to things.

Anyway even with a judgement it will be very difficult for someone to get money to replace their home especially if more than one or two homes are destroyed. Might be more of a deterrent if they can expect to spend some time in jail which may very well happen since a life was lost in this situation.

As far as the smokers tossing their butts out. . . I watched a guy do that about a month ago trying to flick it so it landed over a wall which would have landed in tall grass and brush. I asked him WTF he thought he was doing. He tried to play it off as if he was just flicking it on the asphalt but I knew better the way he was trying to really get it out there. Next time I see him I am liable to ask if he wants to flick another one after these fires happening.