Burn Bans crop up in Southwest Arkansas as conditions worsen for wildfire

MAP: The latest Arkansas Forestry Division map, as of Tuesday afternoon, Feb. 24, shows several counties under a burn ban as all of the state remains under a Moderate or High risk of wildfire danger. The map is subject to change.

Burn bans have cropped up in four Southwest Arkansas counties as wildfire danger is high to moderate across the entire state.

County judges in Miller (Texarkana), Hempstead (Hope), Lafayette (Lewisville) and Columbia (Magnolia) counties issued burn bans early this week, joining nearly a dozen others in the northern half of the state as conditions worsen for wildfire danger despite last weekend’s heavy rainfall.

With Clark County fire departments responding to at least three reports of grass fires on Tuesday, Feb. 24, Arkadelphia Fire Chief Andy Neel cautioned residents against burning until conditions are more favorable.

Clark and all its surrounding counties remained under a Moderate risk of wildfire danger, meaning a fire can start from accidental causes and, though a fire may not become serious, caution should be taken. Counties in and north of the Arkansas River Valley, where most of the state’s burn bans have been issued, are under a High risk.

As drought conditions persist for much of Arkansas, the National Weather Service warned that there is no widespread or appreciable precipitation expected in coming days, predicting the possibility that more burn bans could follow. The Hot Springs area received a deficit of -1.88 inches of rainfall in February, compared to that month’s average precipitation amounts.

Windy conditions of late have added to the dangers of burning outdoors. Gusts on Tuesday reached up to 25 mph. While winds should calm Wednesday, gusts could reach up to 15 mph for the Arkadelphia area. Low humidity also plays a role, and Arkadelphia has recorded humidity as low as 25% in recent afternoons.