Several grass fires developed in Lyon County after the start of a red flag warning Thursday, so county authorities issued some extra reminders and clarified certain policies.
The main reminder is simple: if a red flag warning is active, burns are disallowed.
The main clarification deals with the county’s new online permit registration option at www.lyoncounty911.org/burn. If there is a red flag warning, that option is unavailable. When this happens, Undersheriff John Koelsch says landowners should refrain from calling the Emergency Communications non-emergency line.
Emergency Communications Director Roxanne Van Gundy says several residents tried to register their burns online and then called dispatchers, hoping to get their burns processed, or they have simply started their burns and called Emergency Communications afterward.
Issues developed after Koelsch says Emergency Communications dispatchers received several calls from the National Weather Service as so-called “hot spots” developed on its radar systems, prompting trips by deputies to find the fires and reach out to landowners to make sure the fires were put out. Several other fires that started after noon were rekindles from activity earlier in the week.
No structural damage was reported with any of the incidents in question.
If red flag warnings are not in effect, residents can report their burns at the start and end of their processes by going online to www.lyoncounty911.org/burn. Residents can also call Emergency Communications at 620-343-4225, but that step is encouraged for people who aren’t familiar or comfortable with the online process.
