LITTLE ROCK, Ark. — While Arkansas isn’t currently in a burn ban, experts have been saying that if conditions stay the same then we could possibly see some issued later this month.
“It won't take long before we probably will see some burn bans come into effect,” said Robert Murphy, Emergency Services Director for the Arkansas Department of Agriculture.
That’s the message experts across the Natural State have been sending as temperatures rise and grass dries out.
“As the high temperatures remain, and the lack of rain, we do get into conditions where we could have a burn ban,” said Captain Jacob Lear-Sadowsky of the Little Rock Fire Department.
Murphy added that while a nice breeze can feel great on a hot summer day, it can also contribute to the risk of fires.
“It can be extremely dry, and there not be any wind, and we won’t have a whole lot of problems with fire,” Murphy explained. “Fire has got to have wind behind it in order to really cause much trouble.”
Murphy also agreed with Lear-Sadowsky that a prolonged lack of rain can contribute to fires being able to spark, and said his office even looks at a measurement called the Keetch-Byram Drought Index, or KBDI.
“It’s a scale from one to 800,” Murphy said. "100 being very wet, 800 being extremely dry.”
We’re seeing the dryness and many of the other conditions right now in Arkansas— but how would a burn ban actually be issued?
Even though Murphy is an expert for the state government he’s not the one that makes the final call.
”A mayor can declare a burn ban, a county judge can declare a burn ban,” Murphy said. “County judges, you know, sometimes they'll consult with us and get our opinion.”
If they do call a burn ban, all outdoor burning must stop, with some exceptions for farmers.
However, even if they don’t, conditions like these still require people to be careful.
“Our car’s exhaust can get to 500 degrees,” Lear-Sadowsky said. “So pulling off on the side of the road, we really ask people during a burn ban to try to stay on paved surfaces.”
Lear-Sadowsky also mentioned that people should dispose of cigarettes properly and make sure there's a wide zone around them when cooking outdoors with no combustible materials inside.
As for Murphy, he said we could see burn bans start to pop up in the next couple of weeks if these dry, hot conditions continue.
He added that it could differ by county depending on the judge or official who makes the call.