Numerous SE Wisconsin communities lifting burn bans

By Jesse Ritka

CREATED Jul. 25, 2012 - UPDATED: Jul. 25, 2012

  • Print

  • Jesse Ritka reports Video by 620wtmj.com

    video

UNION GROVE - Thanks to the recent rains, a lot more green is popping up in southeast Wisconsin.  This has led many communities to lift the burn bans they've had in place since before the fourth of July.

"We had a neighbor a couple streets down, their grill tipped over on the 4th of July , caught their house on fire," Union Grove resident John Born tells TODAY'S TMJ4's Jesse Ritka.

That's just one of the reasons many fire departments issued burn bans this summer.  Dry conditions in southeast Wisconsin prompted more than 40 communities to enforce burn bans.

Tom Czerniak, Union Grove Fire Chief, says that was a necessary measure, "By putting the burn ban in effect, we made people's awareness jump up a level.  I hope that that means people will be exceptionally conscientious about where they throw their cigarette butts, what they do after they finish having their campfire."

Sandy Born understood the need for the ban to be in place, "The grass has been hot, it's like blacktop, crunchy just walking from the house to the pool and now it's soft, it's green, it's actually comfortable on your feet!"

It's a change that sparked Union Grove, Yorkville and Caledonia to all lift their bans on burning.  "Even though the crops may be in jeopardy, the ground is definitely wet to the touch, we have people who are in need of the opportunity to burn and have campfires," explains Chief Czerniak.

Though the pool is a more appropriate place for the Born family to gather around on this steamy day.  But they are thankful for Mother Nature's water that allowed the burn bans to be lifted."Rain's been awesome, every day it comes it's very nice to see.  Every day it's getting greener, plants are growing, can't ask for anything more," says John Born.

He's just not looking forward to the mosquitoes that are sure to come.