LITTLE ROCK, Ark. — The past several weeks in Arkansas have been fairly dry with little to no rain in most of the state. Due to this, burn bans have increased, and so has the risk of wildfires.
On Wednesday morning, crews worked tirelessly as they battled several wildfires.
Emergency Services Director for the Arkansas Department of Agriculture, Robert Murphy, explained how they've seen a significant number of fires in the span of two weeks.
"We have seen around 115 fires [in] a little over 1200 acres. We've had actually eight fires that we've [seen] just today that we've worked on already. We have one actively still burning in the state right now, down in Union County," Murphy described.
He said that putting out each fire takes a certain type of routine before they are able to properly extinguish the flames.
"We use bulldozers to put a line in, punch a hole through the timber, and make a line down to bare mineral soil. It takes a little while for that, it's a slow process," he added.
Murphy also shared how oftentimes people don't realize that the more populated an area is, the higher the likelihood of a wildfire popping up.
"Statistically, about nine out of every 10 wildfires could have been prevented. They're all human-caused," he added.
With more than half the state in a burn ban, it's important to know what you shouldn't do when there's an increased wildfire risk.
"Whether that's mowing, bush hogging, pulling a trailer, or with safety chains or even using welder or gas cutting torches or grinders. Anything like that can throw a spark," Murphy said.
He added that if you must do those things, it's best to keep a water hose or a fire extinguisher nearby.
"So, it's always smart to use precaution, whether we're in conditions like we are now, or whether conditions are not quite that bad," Murphy said.
If you see a wildfire, please contact 911 or reach out to the Arkansas Agriculture Department dispatch center at 1-800-468-8834.