All of north central Arkansas is now under a high fire danger and the National Weather Service (NWS) in North Little Rock says there is no relief in sight. The latest wildfire danger map released by the Arkansas Department of Agriculture Monday afternoon shows most of Arkansas, including all of the north central part of the state, in the high wildfire danger category, or three out of four.
The high category means fires can ignite easily and spread quickly. Unattended brush fires and campfires are likely to escape. Fires may become serious if not attacked early.
The list of counties with burn bans shows Fulton, Izard, Stone and Searcy counties still have bans in place.
Violating a burn ban in Arkansas is a misdemeanor that carries a fine up to $1,000 and jail time up to one year. Violators are frequently held financially responsible for the cost of emergency response services and any property damage incurred if the fire escapes.
The NWS says the first week of September looks abnormally hot and dry, with highs in the upper 90s for our area. There is no rain in the forecast until early next week, but even those chances are very low at this point.
While no heat advisory is in effect for northern Arkansas at this time, there is a heat advisory for southern Missouri through Friday night at 8:00.
To make matters worse, the Climate Prediction Center is forecasting conditions across Arkansas to be favorable for a “flash drought”.
The NWS says a flash drought is the rapid onset or intensification of drought. It is set into motion by lower-than-normal rates of precipitation, accompanied by abnormally high temperatures, winds and radiation (full sun, little cloud cover).
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