Louisa County is under an open burn ban in effect until further notice. According to Wapello Fire Chief Damon Moore, the decision comes after several days of dry conditions, leading to multiple fires over the weekend. 

“We implemented the burn ban over the weekend because we had two very large fires in the area on Friday and Saturday that were fueled by the high winds and low humidity/high temperatures.” Moore said. “They were rapidly spreading and multiple fire departments were needed.”

Open burning during the ban will result in a simple misdemeanor. More information on the ban can be found on the State Fire Marshals Website, or the Wapello Fire and Rescue Facebook Page. Iowa County was under a similar ban for the past week, but is scheduled to have it lifted by 8 a.m. Thursday, October 27.