OK WILDFIRES: State can issue burn ban, but points to counties lacking authority
Mar 18, 2025
In Oklahoma, there are two kinds of burn bans: county-issued and Governor-issued.Addressing the media after the first wave of ravaging wildfires, Governor Kevin Stitt told the media his team is monitoring the situation to determ
ine a statewide ban. OK WILDFIRES: State can issue burn ban, but points to counties lacking authorityInstead, he encouraged personal responsibility for each county to make their own decisions.Every county commissioner can look at that, and they can do that county by county as well, said Stitt.Okmulgee County officials told 2 News that they do not meet criteria to legally issue a burn ban. Tulsa County officials cited the same reason for not issuing a burn ban. However, according to state administrative code, Governor Stitt has the ability to supersede those requirements if there is a significant threat to public safety. It states the decision would be made in consultation with the Commissioner of Agriculture and the Oklahoma Department of Agriculture, Food and Forestry.Joe Kralicek, Tulsa Area Emergency Management Executive Director, said he wishes Tulsa County could impose a burn ban right now. We are going to follow the law whether we agree with it or not, he said.After the wildfires subside and conditions improve, Kralicek said it would be worth a discussion for legislators to consider revisiting the state statutes and giving counties more authority. He said Tulsa firefighters are extremely exhausted. They work 24-hour shifts and they are not getting any rest in those 24-hour shifts as far as we can tell right now, said Kralicek.One of the requirements for a county to impose a burn ban is the county has to be in a declared drought.According to the drought monitor used to determine a severe drought, Kay is the only county that would meet the requirements.Kay County has not issued a burn ban.However, despite not meeting state requirements, there are eight counties that imposed a burn ban. Delaware County is one of the counties under a burn ban. According to a resolution, the ban was issued due to extreme fire danger... verified by the majority of fire chiefs. That is not a criterion that is listed under law.Ten minutes before our deadline for this story, the Governor's office shared this statement with us: The criteria for a statewide burn ban has not been met, so no the Governor will not be issuing a burn ban at this time. See the document from ODAFF attached with the relevant statutes. At no point in recent history has a Governor declared a burn ban in Oklahoma without meeting all three criteria. Stay in touch with us anytime, anywhere -- Download our free app for Apple, Android and Kindle devices. Sign up for daily newsletters emailed to you Like us on Facebook Follow us on Instagram SUBSCRIBE on YouTube ...read more read less