Columbus, Ohio – In response to extremely dry conditions in various parts of the state, a Ban on Open Burning ordered last week by State Fire Marshal Kevin Reardon has been updated, extended and expanded to include additional counties. The ban impacts any county in Ohio identified by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) or United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) as being in the “Extreme Drought” or “Exceptional Drought” categories as identified by the United States Drought Monitoring System.

As of today, Sept. 13, the Ban on Open Burning includes the following counties: Athens, Belmont, Carroll, Fairfield, Fayette, Franklin, Gallia, Guernsey, Harrison, Highland, Hocking, Jackson, Jefferson, Lawrence, Licking, Madison, Meigs, Monroe, Morgan, Muskingum, Noble, Perry, Pickaway, Pike, Ross, Tuscarawas, Vinton and Washington.

If any part of a county is identified by NOAA and the USDA as being in the “Extreme Drought” or “Exceptional Drought” categories, the entire county is included in the burn ban.

According to the National Park Service, nearly 85% of wildfires are caused by humans, and some of the main causes are unattended campfires or bonfires, the burning of debris, and negligently discarded cigarettes.

State Fire Marshal Kevin Reardon

“We want everyone to think before you do something involving any kind of open flame. We are in severe drought conditions and ground conditions are very susceptible to ignition from a very simple source. We want people to be able to protect themselves, protect their property, and protect their communities.”

Indiana

NWS Northern Indiana

An upper level ridge will remain over the region this week. Unseasonably warm weather and dry conditions will prevail. There is a slight chance for rain over northwest Ohio as an Atlantic system drifts west. Highs will be in the 80s each day with lows in the 50s.