Many Iowa counties and several area communities are ending their bans on open burning after rain brought some relief to the drought.
Forty-seven counties in Iowa had active bans on open burning as of 4 p.m. Friday afternoon, August 17. The number was continuing to drop.
Barstow and Hillsdale, Illinois lifted their burn ban August 15, 2012. The East Moline Fire Department lifted its ban on open burning August 16, 2012. The ban was originally started Monday, July 30.
Orion’s burn ban was still in effect after it was announced August 7, 2012.
Des Moines County, Muscatine County, Cedar County, Louisa County, Johnson County and Dubuque County officials lifted their burn bans by August 17.
Henry County and Scott County in Iowa remained under declared burn bans. Jo Daviess County, Illinois has been under a burn ban since June 28. Click here for more
In Illinois, area communities of Oquawka, Kewanee, Carbon Cliff and Hampton were among those with burn bans still in force. A member of the fire department said Silvis is also under a burn ban until further notice.
The village of Lyndon, Illinois declared a total ban on burning there effective Thursday, August 2, 2012. Village trustee Becky Piester said that ban was declared after three fires nearly got out of control in one week. Piester said the ban would be in place for the foreseeable future.
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Iowa emergency managers keep the list updated at this link: http://www.dps.state.ia.us/fm/main/burnbans/index.shtml
