Fire District 1 Implements a Burn Ban

(Sedgwick County, Kan.) – Effective immediately, Sedgwick County Fire District 1 has implemented a burn ban for the entire county. This is a combined effort of all full-time and volunteer fire departments in Sedgwick County in order to combat the current dangerous fire conditions. No outdoor burning is allowed including any open burning, chimeneas and/or other outdoor fireplaces. Active burn permits will be suspended and no new burn permits will be issued. This burn ban does not include barbecue grills.

This ban is necessary because of the extremely dry conditions accompanied by higher-than-normal temperatures, low humidity and typical windy conditions. Should a grass fire occur, it will likely spread quickly, posing additional challenges for the fire services in our area. This ban will continue until these dry conditions improve significantly. Fire District 1 will evaluate the status of fire weather conditions weekly.

Violations of the burn ban will be taken seriously and violators could be cited for non-compliance. Please contact your local fire department with questions, concerns and/or to learn more about preventing a wildland fire near your home.

The Grassland Fire Danger Index for Wichita, KS can be found at https://www.weather.gov/ict/Generic_State_County_GFDI. To see Kansas Drought Information, visit https://www.weather.gov/ict/drought. 

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