Burning prohibition to take effect today in Lawrence County

NEW CASTLE, Pa. -- Lawrence County residents are temporarily prohibited from outside burning.
County commissioners voted for the ban at Tuesday's meeting at the request of the Pennsylvania Department of Conservation and Natural Resources. State law requires the county to give 48 hours' notice before any ban starts, and it will go into effect at 11:25 a.m. today.
A letter from DCNR District Forester Gary Frank alerted county commissioners that weather conditions are dry and there is a risk of wildfires. He noted in the letter that April and the first part of May are historically the worst periods for wildfires. Frank added that county fire departments have had calls to wildfires in the past several days.
Fire chiefs throughout the county have been notified. Anyone violating the ban could be fined $100 for the first offense, $200 for the second and $300 for the third. The ban will be lifted when commissioners receive notification from the DCNR.