PRESS RELEASE
Mecklenburg County, Virginia
For Immediate Release

COUNTY-WIDE OPEN BURN BAN

Effective at 12:00 AM
Wednesday October 16, 2019
The National Weather Service has declared Mecklenburg County as experiencing ‘abnormally dry’ conditions, based on the most recent drought monitoring maps. In addition, the County is expected to see below normal precipitation through the end of October. Due to the combination of these factors, a county-wide ban on open burning has been implemented as authorized by Mecklenburg County Board of Supervisors.
Open burning is the burning of materials wherein products of combustion are emitted directly into the ambient air without passing through a stack or chimney from an enclosed chamber. This includes, but is not limited to, burning of leaves, brush, and/or other vegetation. Dry conditions currently exist outdoors that are favorable for rapid fire spread due to the lack of measureable rainfall throughout the County. This burn ban is effective beginning 12:00 a.m. on Wednesday, October 16, 2019, and will remain in effect until the area receives a significant amount of rainfall that decreases fire risk, at which time the ban shall be lifted. A violation of this burn ban may be punishable as a Class 3 Misdemeanor, which, pursuant to Virginia Code §18.2-11, carries for a conviction thereof a fine of not more than $500.

For further information, please contact Coordinator of Emergency Services Jon Taylor at 434-738-6191.