A burn ban went into effect Tuesday morning as Polk County Judge Sydney Murphy signed a local declaration of disaster that includes an order prohibiting outdoor burning for the unincorporated areas of the county due to the elevated fire weather conditions and the threat of wildfire.
The purpose of the order is the mitigation of the hazard posed by wildfires by curtailing the practice of outdoor burning.
Upon notification of suspected outdoor burning, the fire department assigned to the location of the fire shall respond to the scene and take immediate measures to contain or extinguish the fire.
As soon as possible, a duly commissioned peace officer shall be sent to the scene to investigate the nature of the fire.
At the discretion of the peace officer or the fire chief, second or flagrant violations of this order may be prosecuted in accordance with the statutes and procedures governing misdemeanors.
