The burn ban in Petal that was instituted earlier this month to aid individuals with respiratory issues during the COVID-19 pandemic has been lifted.
Petal Mayor Hal Marx said he decided to lift the ban effective April 27, after Gov. Tate Reeves issued his “safer at home” order that slightly lessened restrictions on business openings and operations.
“We do still remind people that if they are experiencing health issues, they can call the fire department and we can stop the burning in their immediate area, to help with their health issues,” Marx said. “But as far as the general ban, we lifted that.”
The ban made it unlawful for any person to burn trash, refuse, sweepings, debris, or other matter within 300 feet of a residence in which an occupant suffers from a documented health condition that could be worsened by exposure to smoke. Those conditions include, but are not limited to, asthma, emphysema, cancer, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and other respiratory illnesses.
The Petal Fire Department has been tasked with keeping a record of the name and addresses of persons presenting proper medical documentation of applicable health conditions, including a signed letter from a licensed physician stating smoke would be harmful to an individual. The fire chief would ensure that within 10 days of receiving that documentation, residents within a 300-foot radius of listed addresses would be notified in writing of the ban. The prohibition did not apply to household fireplaces.
Marx also followed the governor’s guidelines on reopening non-essential retailers. He allowed those businesses in Petal to open with reduced capacity.
“Whatever he’s allowed to open, that’s okay with us, and whatever he said to remain close, we’re enforcing that,” Marx said. “I think from here on out, we’re just going to be looking to see what the state does. Truthfully, you’ve got about half the people that are scared to open back up, and you’ve got about half the people who are ready to open everything back up.
“It’s really hard to balance the two needs – we have an economic need of getting people back to work, and we have a health risk of people being out and being exposed. So I’m going to go by what the state health experts and the governor suggests, and we’re going to follow that. I don’t have the access to the information that they’re seeing statewide … I’m just going to follow their lead and go by what they say.”
