According to Webster County Emergency Management Coordinator Dylan Hagen, areas of Webster County saw less than .1 inch of rain, which keeps the county in moderate drought levels.

“We are going to need to see a significant rain event to lift the burn ban,” said Hagen.

Hagen said that since the burn ban went into effect at the beginning of the month, there have been a few fires due to farm equipment as well as several burning complaints called in within Fort Dodge and throughout Webster County. None have caused significant amounts of damage.

“We just want to remind everyone about the extreme dry conditions as it only takes a few seconds for a fire to go from controlled to out of control,” said Hagen.

Individual burning permits are available with written permission from local fire chiefs, if a resident absolutely feels that they must burn.

The burn ban was put in place Oct. 2. When the ban was instituted, Hagen also asked farmers to keep a disc close by during harvest in case of a fire. He said that many farmers have also contacted him about helping with equipment in case of a fire.

“I have heard of several farmers not farming on the windy days to prevent any issues,” said Hagen. “We truly appreciate them for that.”

Sixty of Iowa’s 99 counties currently have a burn ban in place.