Late winter - early spring is the "burning season" for many land managers in our region. Before striking a match, Oklahoma fire bosses should be aware that the State Legislature changed the notification requirements for prescribed burning.
Land managers must now follow three notification steps before their burn.
- Within 60 days prior to the burn, orally or in writing notify all landowners adjacent to the land to be burned of the proposed date and location of the burn and provide a telephone number where the manager can be reached for information regarding the burn.
- Submit a prescribed burning notification plan to the rural fire department nearest the land to be burned.
The plan must contain the following information:
- Name, telephone number, mailing address, and county of landowner.
- Ranch name (if any).
- Description of ranch location and area to be burned.
- Approximate acres to be burned
- Projected time frame of burn
- Date of previous burn
- Objectives to be accomplished through the burn
- Nearest rural fire department name, location, and telephone number
- Names of adjoining landowners
3. Within 48 hours of the burn, notify the rural fire department that received the notification plan that the burn will be conducted. Land managers burning within the Forest Protection Area Boundary of eastern Oklahoma have additional notification requirements.
For a complete reference on the subject, request a copy of Oklahoma Forestry Services' (405-522-6158) publication Notification Requirements and Considerations for Safe and Lawful Prescribed Burning in Oklahoma.
