Nelson: Now is not the time to burn yard debris
By Terry Murry on Thursday, July 25th, 2024 in Columbia Basin News More Top Stories
MORROW COUNTY – Many of the fires now burning throughout the region were started by lightning. However, some were human caused. Morrow County District Attorney Justin Nelson urges people to think twice before they decide to burn.
“Say it’s a hot day and it’s a windy day and they decide to burn weeds around a field,” he said. “They light that and it goes off. That could be charged as a reckless burning.”
Nelson said civil damages can be incurred by reckless burning, but also people could face criminal charges for that act. He also urged those working the wheat fields to be diligent. A vehicle driving across stubble can ignite a fire due to heat from the exhaust system or catalytic converter.
Of the 46 major fires in Oregon and Washington being monitored by the Northwest Interagency Coordination Center, 14 are known to have been sparked by lightning. There are 26 fires where the cause is either undetermined or under investigation. A total of six fires were caused by humans.
