Oklahoma Governor Mary Fallin announced two new exemptions to the statewide burn ban Tuesday, even as confusion continues among many of the state's residents about the various county bans, the statewide ban, and which rules apply.

The Governor's office sent an email to KRMG with the following additional two exemptions added this week to the statewide burn ban:

• Extreme Hardship – Upon written approval of the State Forester, individuals may be approved to conduct controlled burns on their property due to extreme hardship caused by unusual or extenuating circumstances while their county is under the Governor’s Ban on Outdoor Burning. No exemptions will be granted for camp fires, normal burning of brush piles, accumulation of leaves in yards or brush piles in yards, or household trash.  Each situation will be evaluated for need and may be granted in those cases where there are no other alternatives available.

• Agricultural Burning – Upon written approval (using Form AG-2012-01) of their local fire chief, and submitting the completed form to Oklahoma Forestry Services, individuals may conduct controlled burning necessary for agriculture production.  The burn must be part of the actual agriculture management operations and conducted within specific minimum guidelines.

KRMG checked with Michelle Finch-Walker with the State Forestry Service about confusion expressed by some people who are under both statewide and county-issued burn bans.

She explains that in the event of a statewide burn ban issued by the governor, the rules of that statewide ban supercede any county bans.

That includes exemptions; therefore, if the county ban prohibits grilling with charcoal, but the statewide ban does not, then charcoaling is permitted.

Under the statewide ban currently in effect, outdoor cooking with charcoal, propane, or LPG grills is permitted on a hard, nonflammable surface at least five feet from vegetation.

State Forester George Geissler tells KRMG “Conditions are being reviewed daily. Though there have been slight improvements in pockets of the state, the extreme drought conditions persist and any fire that starts has the potential to burn very intensely.”

The Oklahoma Forestry Service website spells out all the burn ban rules.