STORY COUNTY, Iowa - There are 17 Iowa counties with burn bans in place as of Wednesday Morning.
They're being imposed because of dry weather and a prevalence of field fires in the counties.
Grills and outdoor fireplaces are still allowed under controlled conditions during a burn ban.
The ban in Story County was requested by a majority of fire chiefs.
The number of field fires has been increasing recently and there is no forecast for appreciable rain in the coming week, elevating the risk of open burning to unacceptable levels.” said Keith Morgan, Story County Emergency Management Coordinator.
“An open burn ban is designed to protect residents and our fire fighters. With windy days and conditions as dry as they are embers from open burning can easily start fires that spread rapidly and endanger structures or firefighters.” Morgan said.
he National Weather Service says the state's next chance for precipitation is late Saturday night into Sunday--which could be a mix of rain and snow, depending on how cold it gets.