Update 11:10 a.m. Friday
The City of East Lansing announced it would be maintaining its ban on open fires until further notice, according to a statement released Friday morning.
Update 11:10 a.m. Friday
The City of East Lansing announced it would be maintaining its ban on open fires until further notice, according to a statement released Friday morning.
It does not include consumer-grade fireworks, provided other ordinances are followed, although the city said it might ban them if the situation gets worse.
Fireworks are allowed the day before, during and after Independence Day but are not allowed between 1 a.m. and 8 a.m.
The ban also does not apply to grilling or cooking with charcoal, wood or natural gas appliances.
So much for summer bonfires. Open burning in the city of East Lansing has been banned until further notice, according to the East Lansing Fire Department.
The ELFD cited extremely dry weather conditions as the reason for the ban, stating that the Department of Natural Resources, or DNR, declared a "very high fire danger" for Lansing and surrounding areas.
"When the fire danger is "very high", fires will start easily from most causes," according to the United States Department of Agriculture Forest Service website. "The fires will spread rapidly and have a quick increase in intensity, right after ignition."
Other problems can be caused by the hot weather.
"The higher the condition, the easier it is for a fire to ignite... it can also mean it’s harder to extinguish," DNR fire prevention specialist Bryce Avery said about the "very high fire danger."
Currently, the ban does not apply to legal fireworks. Yet, the department warns this is also subject to change and that, "the ban may extend to consumer grade fireworks depending on continued weather conditions."
The ELFD was unavailable for further comment.
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