Bill > HB3406

This bill modifies existing Oklahoma law regarding burn bans, specifically by changing the conditions required to declare an "extreme fire danger" at the county level. Previously, a burn ban could be enacted if at least three out of four conditions were met, including severe drought, a forecast of little rain, and either increased fire occurrences or a high percentage of fires caused by escaped burns. This bill expands these conditions to include a specific rating on the Keetch-Byram Drought Index (KBDI), a forecast of high temperatures, a prediction of elevated fire weather conditions by the National Weather Service Storm Prediction Center, and the potential for Red Flag Warnings to be met within seven days. The bill also clarifies that agricultural producers can be exempt from county burn bans if they follow a detailed prescribed burn plan and notify relevant authorities, and it adds the Department of Public Safety (DPS), the Oklahoma Tourism and Recreation Department (OTRD), and the Oklahoma Department of Wildlife Conservation (ODWC) to the list of entities that must be notified when a burn ban is enacted. Finally, the bill declares an emergency, meaning it will take effect immediately upon passage and approval.

Agriculture and Natural Resources

http://www.oklegislature.gov/BillInfo.aspx?Bill=hb3406&Session=2600