Fires

As outlined in the governor's May 5th, 2014, ban on outdoor burning, "In addition to the penalties prescribed in the law for violations of the outdoor burning ban, operators may also be liable for damages caused by a fire, and for the cost of suppressing such fire. This executive proclamation also include fire-related guidelines for activities such as road construction, welding, cutting, and grinding, oilfield and landfill work--interestingly, gas vents and flares associated with the extraction of oil and gas or the refining of oil and gas are generally considered exempt from the ban as long as the top of the vent pipe is raised well above the surrounding vegetation; the clearing of storm and land debris; campfires and outdoor cooking; state fire schools and associated fire training, and yes fireworks. Among other things Gifford shares that despite the necessity of fire to many ecosystems, and their efforts to better understand its importance to the landscape, fire suppression remains a problem across much of the country.