Tennessee officials said they’ve received questions about the use of grills and how grill use may be affected by burn bans.

Tennessee Governor Bill Haslam has issued a proclamation declaring a regional ban on burning in 51 counties, including Anderson and Roane counties, in response to the ongoing drought and destructive wildfires throughout Middle and East Tennessee.

That regional burn ban applies to open-air burning and includes a prohibition of campfires and burning of brush, vegetation, and construction debris, said Corinne Gould, assistant commissioner for public affairs in the Tennessee Department of Agriculture.

“Generally, the burn ban does not apply to cooking grills and other similar lighted devices that are well-established in a confined, protected area away from woodlands,” Gould said. [Read more…]