Ephrata Township Board of Supervisors enacts burn ban
When: Ephrata Twp. Board of Supervisors meeting, Nov. 5.
What happened: Supervisors unanimously enacted a 30-day burn ban due to drought-like conditions throughout the township.
Duration: The burn ban will be in effect until Dec. 4 or until it is rescinded by the supervisors. The length of the ban may also change if there is a countywide ban. Supervisors enacted the burn ban due to high wildfire potential due to lack of rainfall, strong winds, low relative, humidity and warm temperatures.
Why it matters: The fire chiefs of the three fire companies that serve the township are in favor of burn bans, Township Manager Steve Sawyer said. Fire companies have been answering calls to fight fires that have "gotten out of control," Sawyer said.
County response: Lancaster County commissioners have not enacted a countywide ban, Sawyer said. Neighboring counties, including Berks, Chester, and York, have enacted burn bans, he said.
Quotable: "I understand the election is important, but fire threats are a safety issue too," Chair Clark Stauffer said on the county response.
Truck turns: Supervisors also unanimously approved an amendment to the township traffic ordinance to prohibit right-hand turns for tractor-trailers over 35 feet in length at the intersection of Schoneck Road and Stevens Road.
Background: Earlier this year, supervisors requested the state Department of Transportation conduct a traffic study to determine if signage was needed to prohibit truck turns at the intersection. Schoneck is a state road, warranting PennDOT intervention.
More: The traffic study determined there were many public concerns about truck-turning at the intersection. The area has heavy traffic during the afternoon rush hour, Sawyer said at the June meeting, because motorists use the back roads to avoid Route 272 congestion.
