Minnehaha County commissioners voted Tuesday to institute a burn ban amid increasing grass fires and drying conditions.
Expressing regret at having to do so because this is a time of year when rural property owners use controlled fires to clear ditches, sloughs and weeds in time for planting season, commissioners were told by Emergency Management Director Jason Gearman that a lack of snow this winter, rain this spring and drying conditions made it necessary.
“We just felt it’s time to put a burn ban in place,” said Gearman, who added that he hoped it wouldn’t last long.
