Firefighters have been busy across the state putting out blazes that could turn into raging wildfires. The National Weather Service says the danger of wildfires in extremely high in the state, and fire weather watches could remain in effect for some time. Adriane Barnes is with the Arkansas Forestry Commission. She tells about what happened this weekend.
"We had 55 fires over the weekend, which was a relatively low number compared to what it could have been with the conditions being what they were. We had 55 fires which burned over 450 acres."
She says a high to extreme fire danger is also in effect for all of Arkansas. She tells why this is in effect.
"We have had low humidity and southerly winds that can cause fires to start very easy. We have very dry conditions across the state, because some places have not seen rain in several weeks. These conditions lead to dry vegetation, which then can provide the fuel to cause these fires to spark."
Burn bans are in effect for most counties in Arkansas, but not all of them. She recommends that outdoor burning not take place, even in you live in a county that does not have a burn ban in effect. Barnes says the situation will improve when humidity levels rise and the region gets substantial rainfalls. More information about burn bans and the Forestry Commission's efforts can be found here.
