With near-record high temperatures expected today, parts of Oklahoma are under a burn ban.
Here’s what you need to know.
What is a burn ban?
A burn ban in Oklahoma is a prohibition on burning. To burn anything during the ban is against state law.
“Burn bans are based upon not only the immediate predicted weather conditions but also the long-term weather forecast, the condition of wildland fuels, current fire behavior, and fire occurrences,” according to the Oklahoma Department of Agriculture, Food and Forestry.
What counties are under a burn ban in Oklahoma?
As of Wednesday morning, 32 of Oklahoma’s 77 counties were under a burn ban, according to a map from Oklahoma Forestry Services.
Why are parts of Oklahoma under a burn ban?
Conditions in Oklahoma have not only been hot for the month of October, but also drier and breezier, according to the forestry services Oct. 22 fire situation report .
On Oct. 21, 14 fires burned just over 200 acres, while one large fire burned 178 acres in Pushmataha County.