While drought conditions haven’t reached the level that would typically trigger an automatic burn ban in the county, commissioners last week implemented a temporary ban due to ongoing dry conditions.
Commissioners say they’ll monitor the weather closely and stay in touch with fire chiefs across the county. If enough snow accumulates from last week’s snowfall and what’s expected early this week, they could lift the ban quickly.
Fire chiefs in Flandreau, Colman, and Trent all requested the ban after five separate fires broke out last week — three of them on Thursday alone.

“We had two within thirty minutes on Thursday,” said Commission Assistant Marty Skroch during last week’s regularly scheduled commission meeting.
“No sooner did one get put out not far off the county line into Minnesota, one got going up by Lake Campbell… so it was Flandreau driving from there, they came back to town, and then they were flying out that way.”
The ban prohibits all open burning.
It will remain in effect until commissioners vote to remove it.
(As per an agenda received Monday noon, the commisioners were to meet Tuesday afternoon with the repealing of the burn ban on the agenda.)