Burn Bans Continue to Increase Across North, Northeast Iowa 

Over a third of Iowa’s 99 counties are now under burn bans due to persistent dry conditions, with no significant rain in the forecast for this week. 

Burn bans went into effect in Clayton and Buchanan counties on Thursday (10.03), with burn bans activated Friday (10.04) in Cerro Gordo and Butler counties. Burn bans in Chickasaw, Floyd, Howard and Winneshiek counties are about to move into their second week after all four went into burn bans last Tuesday (10.01). A burn ban in Delaware County has been active since September 24th.

As of noon Monday (10.07), 45 counties in Iowa are now under burn bans, which also includes Hancock, Grundy, Hardin, and Wright counties. 

In issuing a burn ban, the state fire marshal finds that conditions are such that open burning constitutes a danger to life or property. The bans will remain in effect until those dangerous conditions no longer exist.

Controlled burns with a permit are still allowed as well as fire pits, however, fire pits must have a cover with openings no bigger than one-square-inch in order to help the prevent spread of embers. However, burn ban or not, open burning in these dry conditions is discouraged. 

The forecast calls for continued dry conditions with temperatures also warming into the low 80s by Wednesday (10.09).