Burn ban declared in Jefferson County

FAIRFIELD – Jefferson County was placed under an open burn ban effective 8 a.m. Monday, March 17.

Jefferson County Emergency Management Coordinator Brett Ferrel requested the burn ban, which was approved by the Office of the State Fire Marshal. Jefferson County now joins 20 other counties in Iowa with active burn bans, including the neighboring counties of Wapello and Henry.

The open burn ban will remain in effect until Ferrel notifies the State Fire Marshal that “such conditions dangerous to life or property no longer exists.”

Ferrel, who is also the Fairfield Fire Chief, said local fire departments have been busy the last two weeks putting out timber, grass and brush fires.

“Last week, we spent four to six hours on a couple of days fighting these fires,” he said. “It has been windy, the ground is dry, and fire departments are tired.”

Ferrel said the area has been dry dating back to last fall, and these dry conditions mean that small embers can set off a conflagration. He noted that one of the fires the fire department responded to was caused by an ember from a brush fire three weeks prior.

“It doesn’t take a whole lot of embers for it to get out of hand, especially if it’s CRP or timber,” Ferrel said. “Look at the wind. It blows harder every day, and multiple structures have burned down in our county and neighboring counties due to these types of fires.”

Ferrel clarified that the burn ban, which carries a misdemeanor charge, does not apply to controlled burns approved by the local fire department. Residents in Fairfield can still use barbecue grills and burn pits, though Ferrel said the pit should have a wire mesh cover.

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Call Andy Hallman at 641-575-0135 or email him at andy.hallman@southeastiowaunion.com