A burn ban is now in effect for all of Bartholomew County.
Remaining in effect for at least the next seven days, the burn ban was requested Monday by Bartholomew County Emergency Management director Shannan Cooke.
“It’s basically means no outside burning and no open burning,” Cooke said. “You can’t do burn barrels, camp fires, brush piles or anything of that nature.”
Non-commercial cooking, such as backyard cookouts and barbeques, are still allowed. However, any outdoor welding or other “hot work” must be performed in accordance with fire code requirements.
Cooke asked the Bartholomew County commissioners to approve the ban at the request of the county’s fire chiefs after they met to discuss conditions and voted to recommend the ban. The commissioners unanimously approved the recommendation.
Every time a burn ban is approved, it remains in effect for one week before conditions are reevaluated, Cooke said. At the end of that week, the commissioners can either extend the ban for another seven days or allow the current ban to expire, she said.
As of Monday, only 18 of Indiana’s 92 counties had burn bans in place, according to the emergency management director.
“But if you look at the information from the National Weather Service, we are in moderate drought conditions,” Cooke said.
When moderate drought occurs, crop growth is stunted and water levels drop. The driest areas are located in the southern third of the state, as well as along the eastern side of Indiana, Cooke said.
Right now, Bartholomew County is on the northern edge of counties that have declared burn bans, she added.
According to the National Weather Service, no significant rain is expected for the next seven to 10 days.
The official outlook for the 2024 fall season from the Climate Prediction Center indicates slightly greater chances for above-normal temperatures and equal chances of above, below or near normal precipitation in central Indiana.
