Randall County temporarily lifts burn ban, while Potter County extends it

Two local counties made different decisions on their burn bans this week, with one ban temporarily lifted and the other extended.

On Tuesday, the Randall County Commissioners' Court rescinded its burn ban due to recent rainfall and gave residents of the county a short respite to do controlled burns on their property.

Recommendations from the Randall County Fire Chief Joe Koch recommended that, given the long period of a burn ban, this would be the best opportunity to allow burns for a short amount of time. At its next meeting, the Randall County Commissioners Court will consider a burn ban based on drought and fire conditions in the area.

"This allows the community to burn household trash such as grass clippings and tree limbs for a brief amount of time," Koch said. "We ask that citizens be mindful of the weather and wind, because there are still a lot of fire fuels out there to burn. "

According to Koch, if people see a fire, citizens are welcome to call the station and see if there are reports of a controlled burn at a location.

"If you are going to have a pile of stuff to burn, make sure there is a clear area of 25 to 30 feet around it and that you have water hoses available," he said. "Please take precautions with any controlled fires."

Any manufactured products, such as plywood and particle board, cannot be burned, according to the chief.

At its regular meeting Monday, the Potter County Commissioners' Court voted unanimously on recommendations by its fire chief to extend its burn ban to July 21.

This article originally appeared on Amarillo Globe-News: Randall County lifts burn ban while Potter County extends ban