Burning Anything Right Now In Iowa Could Get You In Big Trouble

While people in the southeast are dealing with the aftermath of Hurricane Helene and torrential rainfall, Iowans haven't really seen much rain in quite awhile.

The latest drought monitor from the National Weather Service shows that Iowa, Illinois, and much of the Midwest are experiencing abnormally dry to moderate drought conditions. The lack of rain and dry conditions have led county officials across Iowa to declare burn bans.

In an email alert Monday morning, the Scott County Emergency Management Agency (SCEMA) issued a Burn Ban for the county. SCEMA said in conjunction with the local Fire Chiefs and the State Fire Marshalls Office determined that open burning constitutes a danger to life & property in Scott County, Iowa.

Under Iowa Code 100.40(1), a Burn Ban has gone into effect as of 10/07/2024 at 08:00 am for all of Scott County, Iowa.

Other counties in Eastern Iowa have issued burn bans including:

• Clinton County
• Cedar County
• Johnson County
• Dubuque County
• Scott County

The reason for these burn bans is that current weather conditions could lead to fires spreading rapidly. Dry weather, possible wind conditions, and dried vegetation are all causes of concern if anyone were to start a fire.

While a Red Flag Warning has not been issued, the dry conditions throughout the fall season haven't gone unnoticed. No severe weather or rain is in the immediate forecast. The National Weather Service's forecast for this week calls for sunny skies, a light wind, and highs in the upper 70s and lower 80s.

The Burn Ban for counties in Eastern Iowa will be in effect until further notice. When the conditions improve allowing for a lift of the burn ban, further notification will be sent.