Muskogee County board adopts seven-day countywide burn ban amid extreme fire danger

The Muskogee County Board of Commissioners on Sept. 21 adopted Resolution No. 2026-5 declaring that "extreme fire danger exists in Muskogee County" and placing a countywide burn ban into effect immediately for a period not to exceed seven days from the date of passage.

The resolution, enacted under the authority of Section 16-26.B of Title 2 of the Oklahoma Statutes, makes it unlawful to set fire to any forest, grass, range, crop or other wildlands or to build campfires or bonfires. It orders any outdoor burning in progress at the time of passage to be fully extinguished by the property owner or their designee. The document says any law enforcement officer of the State of Oklahoma may carry out enforcement, and that a person convicted of violating the resolution "shall be guilty of a misdemeanor and shall be subject to a fine of not more than Five Hundred Dollars ($500.00), to imprisonment of not more than one (1) year, or to both such fine and imprisonment."

The resolution lists limited exceptions. Equipment related to road-construction projects that use propane or other controlled burners may be allowed if a water pumper is on standby and that requirement is the responsibility of the company or organization conducting the construction. Welding, cutting torch or grinding activities are allowed only when conducted over a non-combustible surface at least 10 by 10 feet, when welding blankets or screens cover flammable vegetation, when wind speeds are less than 20 mph, and when a separate fire watch with pressurized water or a fire extinguisher is posted. The document also permits LPG- and charcoal-fired cooking in a grilling receptacle provided it is on a non-flammable surface and at least five feet from flammable vegetation.

The resolution states the burn ban may be removed at any time during the seven-day period by the same method by which it was approved, and it may be overridden by a lawfully declared burn ban from the Governor of Oklahoma. The text of the resolution records adoption on Sept. 21, 2026, and is attested by the county clerk.