Howard, Sevier, Little River join growing list of counties under a burn ban

A combination of scorching temperatures and very little rain in recent weeks is prompting some Arkansas counties to issue burn bans for the first time this year.

Locally, that includes Howard, Sevier, and Little River Counties. Howard County Judge Brent Pinkerton announced yesterday that a burn ban has been issued for Howard County. 

Sevier and Little River counties announced burn bans on Wednesday (Aug. 23) to help limit the potential for fires under the present weather conditions. Other counties in Southwest Arkansas currently under a burn ban include Hempstead, Miller, Lafayette, Nevada and Ouachita Counties.
Under a burn ban, all outdoor burning is prohibited. Typically, these bans remain in effect until the affected county receives enough rain to remedy the fire threat.

Daily highs have been in the triple digits all week and are expected to remain above 100 degrees through Saturday. Temperatures are expected to drop into the low 90s next week along with a slight, 20-30 percent chance of rain across the region.