Wildfires Prompt Burn Ban for County

County Judge Says Ban Will Remain In Place Until County Receives 1 Inch of Rain
  • NEW EDINBURG WILDFIRE - This shot taken by a member of the New Edinburg Volunteer Fire Department shows the size of the fire that was burning along Mt. Lebanon Road in the New Edinburg area last Wednesday. There were reports that two other fires were in that same area of Saturday.
    NEW EDINBURG WILDFIRE - This shot taken by a member of the New Edinburg Volunteer Fire Department shows the size of the fire that was burning along Mt. Lebanon Road in the New Edinburg area last Wednesday. There were reports that two other fires were in that same area of Saturday.
  • RISON AREA WILDFIRE - This shot taken from the Rison Fire Department's Facebook page shows one of the fires that firefighters responded to last week, including some off Moore's Church Road. Rison reported that it responded to three fires, one of which they had to return to aft er it re-ignited after being extinguished the first time.
    RISON AREA WILDFIRE - This shot taken from the Rison Fire Department's Facebook page shows one of the fires that firefighters responded to last week, including some off Moore's Church Road. Rison reported that it responded to three fires, one of which they had to return to aft er it re-ignited after being extinguished the first time.
    RISON - Cleveland County remains under a burn ban after a number of wildfires were reported across the county last week.Cleveland County Judge Jimmy Cummings officially placed the county under a burn ban effective 8 a.m. last Thursday, March 20. The declaration came after an outbreak of wildfires around the county and region last Wednesday.Under a burn ban, outdoor burning is prohibited. In Arkansas, breaking a burn ban is considered unlawful burning, which is as a Class A misdemeanor punishable by a fine of up to $1,000, and imprisonment for up to one year.In addition, should a person fail to control an outdoor fire during a burn ban and that fire burns another person's property, that person starting the fire could be held liable for those damages under state law.As of Wednesday morning, 67 of the state's 75 counties were under a burn ban. The Arkansas Forestry Commission designated the entire state as having "high" fire danger risk.The Forestry Commission risk levels, according to its website, are determined by fuel conditions, drought status and long-term weather forecasts. They are categorized by how easily fires can start and how hard they are to contain. A "high" level indicates fires ignite easily and spread quickly. Unattended brush fires and campfires are likely to escape. Fires may become serious if not attacked early.Cummings said he would like the county to receive at least an inch of rain before lifting the ban. He said the extended period of dry conditions and low humidity has left a dry layer surface that will take a significant amount of moisture to bring it back to safe levels. Overall, Cummings said he could recall eight fires being reported in Cleveland County last Wednesday, most of which were started when persistent high winds knocked over trees or limbs onto power lines causing sparks to light the dry material beneath. Those high winds and very low humidity created ideal conditions for the fires to s...

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