Blog: Burn Bans Spread Across Arkansas

Statement

An increasing number of Arkansas counties have enacted burn bans as recent flooding rains have given way to dry conditions.

As of Friday (Aug. 8), the following counties were under a burn ban in Arkansas: Chicot County, Faulkner County, Garland County, Hempstead County, Howard County, Jefferson County, Lafayette County, Lincoln County, Miller County, Montgomery County, Ouachita County, Polk County, Saline County, and Union County.(A full, continually updated list of counties under burn bans may be found at the Arkansas Forestry Commission's website.)

With burn bans in place, it is important to remember that burning outdoors is banned in the counties listed above. With dry vegetation, a small spark or flame can cause a small fire to grow and spread potentially putting property and lives at risk.

Even though the risk of wildfires and other burns often times materialize with dry conditions, it is important to note that wildfire risks can be minimized with simple policy changes at the federal level. I have introduced the Resilient Federal Forests Act to reduce the risks of wildfires through proper forest management to protect the many communities across Arkansas from the impacts of large-scale fires. The bill has already passed the House and now awaits action in the Senate.

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