Burn bans rise as Indiana counties see dry conditions

FORT WAYNE, Ind. (AP) - Dry conditions across much of Indiana have prompted more than a dozen counties to ban outdoor burning, and unless the state receives significant rainfall soon, some officials are thinking about extending the bans to July 4 fireworks.

Allen and Monroe counties approved burn bans Friday, joining at least 12 other counties. Several others have implemented voluntary bans and are considering mandatory restrictions if conditions don't improve.

Bloomington Township Fire Chief Faron Livingston asked the Monroe County Commissioners to approve a ban at their meeting Friday morning, The Herald-Times reported.

"It's super, super dry right now," Livingston said.

Bloomington's rainfall this year is nearly 10 inches below average. The Terre Haute area is more than 8 inches below normal levels, and Indianapolis is 4 inches below average, according to the National Weather Service. Nearly 90 percent of the state is considered abnormally dry, and about 40 percent of Indiana is experiencing a moderate or severe drought.

The dry conditions have led to a number of brush fires in recent days, including one Thursday that briefly closed portions of Interstate 74 southeast of Indianapolis.

Carroll, Elkhart, Fulton, Grant, Knox, Kosciusko, LaGrange, Marshall, Noble, Steuben, St. Joseph, Vigo and Wabash counties also have imposed countywide burn bans, according to the Indiana Department of Homeland Security.

Allen County Commissioner Nelson Peters told The Journal Gazette that the panel decided to impose a ban for the next seven days because the county is already suffering a moderate drought and no significant rain is in the forecast.

The ban includes fireworks, campfires, bonfires and unpermitted controlled burns. It also prohibits residents from discarding cigarettes on the ground or in a receptacle that isn't fireproof.

St. Joseph County hasn't seen significant rainfall since May 31, and firefighters have been called to numerous grass and brush fires in the last week. County commissioners say they won't lift the ban until the area receives at least an inch of rain, and officials are starting to look ahead to the July 4 holiday.

St. Joseph County Commissioner Andy Kostielney told WSBT-TV that the county's legal department is checking into whether fireworks fall under the burn ban. If not, commissioners could vote on a separate ban if conditions don't improve.

Clay Territory Fire Marshal Dave Cherrone said the holiday is a busy time for firefighters even when conditions aren't so dry.

"Every year, we always end up in St. Joseph County with a structure, whether it's a garage or a house, that it ignited by wayward fireworks. So when you have the dry conditions in the grass like this, you're just compounding the problem," Cherrone said.