Burn Bans in Effect for Texarkana Area or Get Fined up to $500

Time to once again put out the fires. There are burn bans in effect for the Texarkana area due to the dry and recently windy conditions.

Please take this seriously or you could be facing a very hefty fine. Burn Bans are now in effect for Miller and Hempstead Counties in Arkansas and Bowie and Cass Counties in Texas. 

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The burn ban was issued late Monday afternoon, March 23, and will remain in effect for 7 days.
All outdoor burning is prohibited in the areas of Bowie County, except burning activities related to public health and safety authorized by the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality, and outdoor cooking only in enclosed pits or grills.

READ MORE: Texarkana Weekly Siren Testing to Resume 

In Texas, if you are caught burning during the burn ban, it is a misdemeanor punishable by a fine up to $500. Do you really want to take that chance?

Burn ban is also in effect for Miller and Hempstead Counties in Arkansas. No open burns. This means smoke goes into the open air instead of going through a chimney or smokestack first. This means, No Burn Barrels, No Fireworks, No Campfires or Firepits, No Yard or Brush Burning, No Trash Burning, No Open Flame Grilling.

How much rain do we need to get out of a Burn Ban? According to  Southwest Arkansas Weather,

 Latest data shows that we need at least 20 to 22 inches of rain in a month to get us out of the drought that we are in.

Does anyone know how to do a Rain Dance? We need some good old-fashioned rain and we need it now!