Firefighters from Bennet and Lancaster County Sheriff’s deputies responded to neighborhood near Yankee Hill Road and Nebraska Parkway Tuesday afternoon. “For an individual burning leaves during a statewide burn ban, a Red Flag day and winds blowing up to 50 miles per hour,” says LSO Chief Deputy Ben Houchin.
He says the man was raking leaves and using a leaf blower to blow them into an open firepit and then starting them on fire. “It’s kind of hard to think why somebody would believe it’s a good idea and needed to be done at that point in time.”
Houchin says the man became argumentative with deputies and had had a difficult time understanding why he couldn’t burn leaves. He says firefighters were able to prevent it from spreading. He was cited for violating the open burn ban, which is a class IV misdemeanor.
Open burning requires a permit.