SPRINGFIELD, Mo. — Monday marks 28 days of the Ozarks seeing no measurable rainfall. In Springfield, it has been the longest dry stretch in 20 years.
The lack of rain has led to drought conditions and growing concerns about fires getting out of control.
Burn bans issued in Bolivar & Polk County
Cody Norris, the public affairs officer for the Mark Twain National Forest, says this is a popular time for the forest, and more people means more risk of controlled fires burning out of control. Especially with the very dry conditions, a small spark could escalate quickly.
“It totally could happen,” Norris said. “If we continue in a drought, and you get a spark and some big winds at the same time, they can carry wildfire quickly.”
Last weekend, forest service firefighters put out a wildfire to the east of Shell Knob near Table Rock Lake. The U.S. National Weather Service also says there is a high risk of fire danger in southwest Missouri and northern Arkansas .
Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.