YORK, Pa. — Update, Oct. 4: The burn ban enacted in September by the York County Board of Commissioners will end on Thursday, Oct. 5, according to Ted Czech with the York County Office of Emergency Management.
The board reached its decision after consulting several county fire chiefs.
Officials would like to thank all York County residents for their patience and understanding during the ban.
Backyard fires will be extinguished for at least 15 days, as York County is under another burn ban.
Previously: The county enacted it's third burn ban in six months, due to a lack of rainfall and low-flowing streams and creeks. The ban also comes on the heels of the York Water Company banning nonessential water usage throughout the county.
“I cannot remember this many burn bans that we’ve had in a long time," said Todd Heilman, battalion chief of the York Area United Fire and Rescue.
Heilman added that the drought conditions could create a perfect storm for fires throughout York County.
“We have a lot of ‘urban interface’ in York County, which means there’s a lot of homes built in wooded areas," said Heilman. "With these dry conditions, it puts these homes in danger.”
“Those fires tend to spread quickly in dry conditions, but also there’s possibly going to be an inordinate amount of water needed to extinguish those fires," said Ted Czech, public information officer for the York County Office of Emergency Management.
People can still use propane or gas stoves, and charcoal grills during the burn ban. However, open burning of flammable materials, such as trash, leaves and twigs, as well as recreational fires in backyard fire pits are prohibited.
“We understand it’s fun to have a firepit or campfire on your property," said Czech. "But as I said, we ask people to think about the bigger picture.”
With rain in the forecast this weekend, county officials hope the burn ban will expire after the 15-day period.
“Hopefully, the 15 days will conclude and we’ll be good, but it’s all going to depend on the weather conditions," said Heilman.
Fines for violating the burn ban range from $100 for first-time offenders to $300 for violating the ban more than three times.