Pittsburg County officials want burn ban extended

Wednesday, March 29th 2006, 5:24 am

By: News On 6

McALESTER, Okla. (AP) Emergency officials in Pittsburg County say they want the burn ban back in place in southeastern Oklahoma after firefighters there spent much of Tuesday battling wildfires.

Officials say about 2,000 acres near Scipio in Pittsburg County were destroyed by wildfire yesterday.

Pittsburg County is one of a few Oklahoma counties not under a burn ban.

Pittsburg County Emergency Management Director Trent Myers says Tuesday's fires destroyed one outbuilding and threatened several homes, but no injuries were reported.

Fires also were reported in Krebs, Ashland, Highhill and areas south of McAlester.

A statewide burn ban in effect since November recently was lifted because of heavy rains.

The governor reinstated much of the ban Monday, leaving only Pittsburg, Latimer, Le Flore, McCurtain, Choctaw, Pushmataha, Bryan, Atoka, Coal and Marshall counties out of the ban.