UPDATE (6:15 a.m. Friday, Jan. 17): This post has been updated to include a new Grassland Fire Danger Index from the National Weather Service, listing our area as a "high" threat risk in its latest report at 5:31 a.m. Friday, Jan. 17.
Please read more details in our original post below.
ORIGINAL POST (11:15 a.m. Thursday, Jan. 16): The forecast these next few days is calling for warmer temperatures and stronger winds, creating hazardous conditions for open burning. According to the National Weather Service – Des Moines, temperatures are expected to reach the upper-30s to mid-40s, with wind gusts as high as 35 miles per hour.
The Grassland Fire Danger Index, as compiled by the NWS, currently lists our area as a “moderate” threat risk in its latest report at 10:11 a.m. on Thursday, Jan. 16. This index indicates the potential for grassland fires to experience extreme fire behavior, which can lead into a potential threat to life and property, taking into account the curing of the fuel (grasses), temperature, relative humidity and the average sustained wind.
While open burning is prohibited within city limits, and even though there is no burn ban initiated in our fire district, we want to remind and caution citizens of the extreme risk of grass fires. Current dry ground cover and the lack of snow makes it easy for fires to spread quickly and become unmanageable. As we learn from the recent devastating wildfires in southern California, please help us in our efforts to protect our community by avoiding any open burning.
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