You'd think that people would learn after each winter/dry season in Oklahoma. But no. Once again, today we have raging grass fires everywhere. It's not like we have an abundance of natural causes, and it's not like these people have been warned that conditions are ripe for fires to be out of control.
But instead, it's way more important for Mountain William to set a pile of lawn waste alight on a windy, dry day and walk away from it. Or maybe Cletus can't be brought to not flick his smoke out the window. Next thing you know, we have a conflagration that destroys huge amounts of vegetation, wildlife, and property. Sometimes it even takes lives.
There are solutions to this mess. First, the state has to take a proactive role in just prohibiting all outside burning from October through March. I think that six months out of the year is enough for hillbillies who can't be inconvenienced to mulch or otherwise dispose of their waste to burn it off. Second, don't be so damned quick to remove burn bans just because it freaking rains. Fire weather depends on much more than the rainfall from last night. Third, state and local government needs to institute burn permits and inspections. Finally, more responsibility needs to be placed on those burning outdoors so that when their shit gets out of control, they are fined, jailed, and/or sued for it. Hell, in some areas that I frequent, cash-strapped city governments don't even fine these idiots when they burn during a burn ban. These morons need to be held responsible for the full cost of the fire protection services that are putting out the fires they cause.
Makes not a damn bit of sense to me.
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