Not-So-Controlled Burns This Weekend

As temperatures have started to rise and low-elevation winter snows have melted considerably over the past week, many ranchers, farmers and others are beginning their annual agricultural and related weed burning.

But each year, as the spring burning season increases, at least a few of these burns get out of control. The Powell Tribune reports that firefighters in Powell answered nine separate calls this weekend, all but one of which were for out of control grass fires.

An electrical pole also caught fire Sunday on Lane 8, igniting after a grass fire. According to the Wyoming Department of Transportation, if a burn gets out of control, citizens are not only responsible for what happens on their own property, they may also be held criminally and civilly liable from damages to federal and state property.

Those wishing to conduct a controlled burn need to first call the Park County Sheriff’s Office dispatch center at 754-8700, or 527-8700. And Tim Troutman of the National Weather Service Riverton office points out that having an up-to-date wind speed and direction forecast can help you decide whether or not dropping the match is worth the risk.