Tennessee Gov. Bill Haslam today issued a proclamation declaring a regional ban on burning in 51 counties including DeKalb in response to the ongoing drought and destructive wildfires throughout Middle and East Tennessee.
Effective immediately, residents in counties covered by the regional ban are not permitted to conduct any open-air burning. The ban includes campfires, and burning of brush, vegetation, household waste or construction debris. The ban will remain in effect until December 15. The counties under the ban are listed below.
Currently the Tennessee Department of Agriculture (TDA) Division of Forestry is fighting 67 wildfires across nearly 16,000 acres in the Cumberland and East Tennessee districts.
A violation of a burn ban is punishable as a Class A misdemeanor which carries a fine of $2,500 and/or up to 11 months, 29 days in jail.
Robertson and Sumner counties continue to be under a burn ban issued by TDA Commissioner Jai Templeton. A governor’s ban includes municipalities, whereas a commissioner’s ban is superseded by municipal ordinances.
Residents in counties not included under any of the current bans must obtain a safe debris burning permit to burn brush, vegetation, household waste or construction waste. The TDA Division of Forestry, however, does not expect to issue any permits until the state receives substantial precipitation. A violation of burning without a permit is punishable as a Class C misdemeanor which carries a fine of $50 and/or up to 30 days in jail.
Daily updates on the wildfire situation, active burn bans and tips to protect your home and property can be found at www.burnsafetn.org.
Counties under a regional burn ban:
Anderson
Bledsoe
Blount
Bradley
Campbell
Cannon
Carter
Claiborne
Clay
Cocke
Coffee
Cumberland
Dekalb
Fentress
Franklin
Grainger
Greene
Grundy
Hamblen
Hamilton
Hancock
Hawkins
Jackson
Jefferson
Johnson
Knox
Loudon
Macon
Marion
McMinn
Meigs
Monroe
Morgan
Overton
Pickett
Polk
Putnam
Rhea
Roane
Scott
Sequatchie
Sevier
Smith
Sullivan
Trousdale
Unicoi
Union
Van Buren
Warren
Washington
White
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