Schuylkill County commissioners barred open burning from April 21 through May 21.

But some people may be wondering why they are not allowed to burn yard waste or paper while the state can conduct prescribed burns.The state game commission on Friday morning burned 114 acres along route 309 in Walker Township.The prescribed burns are carefully monitored and controlled, said Schuylkill County Emergency Management Coordinator John Matz."The Pennsylvania State Game Commission has never been subject to the county ban. They provide the planning and staffing from both Game Commission and the state Department of Conservation and Natural Resources," Matz said."Though there has been instances of smoke migrating into unintended areas, and an increase in calls to 911 reporting smoke, these burns have never escalated beyond what was intended," Matz said.Each year, the game commission follows a plan to burn certain segments of game lands in various counties to promote certain vegetation growth and improve wildlife habitat, he said."It had been established years ago that their schedule is tentative based on weather conditions predicted for the day of the burn. We are normally notified a day prior and we give a heads up to the fire service and potentially impacted municipalities. The notification to the public and media is supposed to be handled by the (game commission)."According to DCNR, open burning is defined as the "ignition and subsequent burning of any combustible material (garbage, leaves, grass, twigs, litter, paper, vegetative matter involved with land clearing, or any sort of debris) out-of-doors either in a burn barrel or on the ground."Under the ban, residents are forbidden from any outdoor burning of items such as garbage, leaves, grass, twigs, litter and paper. Grilling in proper containers is still permitted; however, the ban forbids lighting fires in outdoor burn barrels or fire rings. Residents violating the ban face fines of $100 for the first offense, $200 for the second and $300 for each additional violation.Violators are also responsible for the cost of extinguishing any wildland fire they cause.