Governor Revises Burn Ban
The statewide burn ban Governor Jim Pillen issued in response to the Plum Creek wildfire has been allowed to expire for eastern Nebraska. However, a new executive order issued on Tuesday of last week stipulates that central and western Nebraska remain under a burn ban. Conditions in that part of the state are still very dry. Burning is prohibited through midnight May 10 due to the potential wildfire risk.
The new order, effective Tuesday, April 29, specifies the border where burning is still not permitted. The line runs south along U.S. Highway 81 from the South Dakota border to Highway 92. The line then goes west to U.S. Highway 281 and runs south to the Kansas border. It should be noted that counties may be split when it comes to areas where burning is still prohibited.
Burning outside of that area is permitted, except when a red flag warning is issued by the National Weather Service and for the duration of the warning.
On Monday, May 5, the governor further revised the burn ban to allow to allow fire chiefs discretion in granting burn permits to irrigation districts so that they can continue to clear vegetation from ditches. Other than that exception, burning remains off limits in central and western Nebraska.
Under the requirements of the new executive order, burning is only permitted within the boundaries of a surface water irrigation canal owned, titled to or operated by an irrigation district, and the permitted burn must be supervised on-site by the permitting authority.
