Battle Creek Officials Announce An Open Burn Ban Amidst Dry Spell

It’s been quite a long time since Battle Creek and Kalamazoo areas have seen any substantial or decent amount of rain. As mentioned before, May 19 was the last time Kalamazoo saw rain, and it was only 3/10 of an inch and it was about two weeks before that when the previous rain head fell.

It doesn’t take a meteorologist to look outside and see the grass and the condition of the plants to know that there is a real issue with rain shortage in Southwest Michigan, which is what has prompted the Battle Creek government to impose an open burn ban effective immediately until further notice. the city released a statement discussing the open burn ban that is now in effect, and how it may affect our ability to grill:

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The open burn ban status includes the following prohibitions:

1. Neighbors MAY NOT BURN any yard waste materials or conduct any associated open burning.

2. Recreational campfires are PROHIBITED at this time. Cooking grills may be used. NO active cooking grill placement on yard surfaces. While grill cooking is permitted, it is asked that a water or extinguishing sources are kept close by areas of cooking. Additionally, NO recreational grill cooking should be left unattended.

So YES, we can still grill, but keep it on a flame-resistant surface and extinguish it.

During this time, the city said they'll also be turning away those seeking a burn permit to keep the area protected. As of now, there is a solid projection of rain in the upcoming week of June 12th in Southwest Michigan, so there's a chance the ban MAY not last long, but it all depends on how the weather actually produces.