Jonesboro, AR – Contributed – The Arkansas Department of Agriculture is urging Arkansans to stay alert as wildfire risk increases across the state.

The Department has designated all 75 counties at moderate wildfire risk, and 30 counties are under burn bans issued by county judges.

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The National Interagency Fire Center’s Predictive Services forecasts above normal significant fire potential developing across southern and eastern Arkansas during August. Abnormally dry conditions covered 92 percent of Arkansas on Aug. 4, up from 82 percent one week earlier.

As fuels dry out, the risk that a small fire escapes containment rises sharply. Fires that would have been routine a month ago can ignite easily, spread faster, and demand more resources to control.

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Recommended Precautions

The Department urges residents, landowners, and local fire agencies to take the following steps as conditions worsen:

• Report wildfires immediately to the Department’s Forestry Dispatch at 1-800-468-8834.
• Check for a burn ban in your county before conducting any outdoor burning.
• Use caution with all outdoor burning. The risk that a small fire escapes will continue to increase.
• Report prescribed fires prior to ignition through the Department’s website or by calling 1-800-830-8015.
• Volunteer fire departments should prepare for increased call volume in the coming weeks.
• Forest landowners should plan for a brief prescribed burn season this fall.

Homeowners and communities should become familiar with Firewise USA, a wildfire preparedness program administered by the Department.

The Department is planning its August response around in-state capacity, preparing crews, bulldozers, and single-engine air tanker coverage. It currently has 175 wildland firefighters, 110 bulldozers, and an aviation detection and response fleet available to respond to complex wildfire incidents anywhere in the state.

The Department protects more than 15 million acres of non-federal forestland through seven districts positioned across Arkansas, where foresters and rangers work daily to prevent, detect, and suppress wildfires.

Arkansans can monitor current conditions on the Department’s county-by-county wildfire map and follow updates on the Department’s social media channels.

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