By The Arkadelphian

Clark County is under a burn ban until further notice. All outside burning is prohibited and punishable by a $365 fine. 

“Burn bans are very common in the late summer in Arkansas due to extremely dry conditions,” said Arkadelphia Fire Chief Jason Hunt.

Residents may use barbecue grills for cooking as long as those grills are not left unattended. Having a water source nearby is recommended. 

According to Hunt, it could take several days of rain to improve conditions. “If we get two inches of rain followed by wind, the water will dry out in hours.” 

The burn ban is enforced by and through the Clark County Sheriff’s Department, the fire chiefs of the various fire districts, and the Clark County Office of Emergency Management. 

When the burn ban has been lifted and it is safe to burn, the fire department will notify the public through social media and the Office of Emergency Management will notify county residents through the ClarkArk alert system. Clark County residents can sign up for the emergency alert system by texting “CLARK” to 78015 or by visiting https://www.smart911.com/smart911/ref/reg.action?pa=clarkcountyarkansas.