Des Moines County was placed under an open burning ban.
The ban was set to begin at 8 a.m. Saturday, April 12, 2014 and was issued by the Des Moines County Fire Chief.
Open burning was deemed to be a danger to life or property. The ban was to remain in effect until further notice.
Several other Iowa counties were placed under burn bans – click here.
Previous reports indicate that a permit must be issued by the local fire chief when conducting a controlled burn. The ban does not apply to “the use of outdoor fireplaces, barbecue grills, properly supervised landfills, or the burning of trash in incinerators or trash burners made of metal, concrete, masonry, or heavy one-inch wire mesh, with no openings greater than one square inch,” according to Iowa law.
Violation of the burn ban is considered a simple misdemeanor in Iowa.
To see a map of all Iowa counties under open burning bans – click here.
