Fire chief: Some have ignored burning restrictions in Pahrump
With the dry and hot summer months upon the valley, Pahrump Fire and Rescue Chief Scott Lewis is urging the community to adhere to the local burn moratorium.
Under Pahrump Town Ordinance #28, local property owners are permitted to conduct controlled burns of yard debris during certain months.
The burn moratorium is regularly put into place in May each year, when temperatures begin to reach 90 degrees or higher on a consistent basis, and is not lifted again until some time in October, once weather conditions begin their cooling trend.
Despite public announcements regarding the moratorium going into effect, some area residents are ignoring the restrictions. Just one month into the burn moratorium, illegal controlled burns have already been connected to several area fires, including brush fires and even structure fires.
Lewis emphasized that the burn moratorium is in effect for a reason and disregarding it can lead to safety risks for the entire community.
“I wanted to remind everyone that the burn moratorium has been in place since May 15. It has been noticed to the public, it’s on our display boards, we’ve put it out through the media, yet we are still experiencing unauthorized controlled burns, several of which have resulted in serious fire events and near-significant injury,” Lewis stated during the Nye County Commission’s latest meeting. “Please, the conditions are ripe for some serious fires. Our fuel sources are dried out and any ignition source can light those off. So please, follow the ordinance and follow the moratorium.”
Contact reporter Robin Hebrock at rhebrock@pvtimes.com
