More than 4,000 acres have burned this month in six fires in rugged, forested parts of north Anderson County, state officials said. Smoke hangs high in the air above the mountains north of Oliver Springs on Thursday, Nov. 10, 2016. (Photo by John Huotari/Oak Ridge Today)
A few readers have had questions about whether it is okay to cook on a grill while the burn ban is in effect. There has been some confusion because various burn bans have been announced, and they often haven’t included information about grilling.
One burn ban announced Monday by Tennessee Governor Bill Haslam bans burning in 51 counties because of the ongoing drought and continuing forest fires. The burn ban includes all eastern Tennessee counties, including Anderson, Campbell, Loudon, Knox, Morgan, Roane, Scott, and Union. Residents in those counties are not permitted to conduct any open-air burning. The ban includes campfires and burning of brush, vegetation, household waste, or construction debris. The ban will remain in effect until December 15.
But does that prohibit grilling? We asked Oak Ridge Public Affairs Specialist Sarah Self that question on Tuesday.
Self, in turn, asked Oak Ridge Fire Marshal Travis Solomon.
Solomon said grilling is okay, Self responded, as long as people stay with the grill and make sure the flame is out or the gas is off when they’re done. It doesn’t matter if the grill is charcoal, gas, or propane, Self said.
More information will be added as it becomes available.
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