Kauffman County, Texas posted a 60-day burn ban just yesterday and Hays County,Texas has been under one for a while, which got me thinking: how do burn bans affect outdoor welding businesses?
Every summer there is some county, city, or other population division that issues out a burn ban. Expect to see a ban in your area if there is a drought scare, because dryness heightens the risk of wildfires.
Depending on the severity of the drought, restrictions can range from light, supervised heat work to an outright cancellation on all outdoor heat-dependent activities.
The usual restrictions include:
No bonfires (duh!)
No outdoor cooking, i.e. grilling, using smokers and other outdoor cooking equipment
No outside welding, and since we’re almost in the season. . .
. . . no fireworks!
Some bans are so serious that police look out for people throwing cigarette butts on the ground.
For obvious reasons burn bans are more popular during summer and can last anywhere from one week to several months, but anytime when there is the possibility of a drought a burn ban will be issued regardless of the season.
States that are in typically dry, hot climates are at a greater drought-risk than states in other climate areas. Example: You’re more likely to experience drought-fears in Texas than in Alaska.
For welders that conduct most of their work outside, are these bans a problem or is your work flexible enough that you can simply move your welding activity indoors?