You might get to use that fire pit this autumn after all.
Ohio State Fire Marshal Kevin Reardon lifted a burn ban in place for 24 counties Friday, ending over a month of prohibited burning in the state.
Effective as of noon Friday, Ohioans can resume grilling with charcoal, lighting campfires, playing with sparklers and other activities previously prohibited by the burn ban.
What’s legal to burn under Ohio law?
However, there are still restrictions on burning. Under Ohio law, lighting fires to burn wood, brush, weeds, grass, or “rubbish of any kind” in unincorporated areas is prohibited from 6 a.m. to 6 p.m. during October and November.
This restriction applies to fires started by discarded matches, cigars and other burning substances.
Why was there a burn ban in Ohio?
Ohio’s burn ban resulted from drought and dry conditions, but recent rainfall and the state’s slide into fall weather was enough to create “a significant and sustained reduction in wildfire fuel loads,” according to a state fire marshal press release.
Across the state, grass has turned green, and wildfire fuels like sticks and logs have soaked up moisture, “substantially lessening” the risk of uncontrollable wildfires, according to the press release.
“There’s a lot that goes into this, but it simply boils down to how easy is it to start a fire on the ground,” Ohio State Fire Marshal Kevin Reardon said in the release.
Is Ohio still experiencing a drought?
The fire marshal initially issued the burn ban on Sept. 6 for 24 Ohio counties. At its peak, 44 Ohio counties experiencing “extreme” or “exceptional” drought were affected by the ban. On Oct. 4, the fire marshal brought the burn ban back down to only 24 counties.
Ohio is still experiencing a slowly improving drought, but the wildfire risk posed by the drought—measured by the Keetch Byram Drought Index—is back down to a more average range for October, according to the press release.
The risk of wildfires is not expected to increase in the foreseeable future, but a burn ban could return if it does, according to the release.
This article originally appeared on The Columbus Dispatch: State fire marshal lifts Ohio burn ban after recent rain
