MONROE COUNTY — Monroe County is under a burn ban until Sept. 24, according to the latest burn ban map from the Indiana Department of Homeland Security.
Burn bans are issued by local fire chiefs or county governments to reduce the fire risk escalated by dry weather.
According to the Monroe County Emergency Management Agency, the ban prohibits:
- Campfires and other recreational fires, unless enclosed in a fire ring with dimensions of less than 23 inches in diameter and a height of 10 inches or higher.
- Open burning of any kind using conventional fuel such as wood, or other combustible matter, with the exception of grills fueled by charcoal briquettes or propane. Charcoal from permitted grills shall not be removed from the grills until the charcoal has been thoroughly extinguished.
- The burning of debris, such as timber or vegetation, including such debris that results from building construction activities and other open-air fires.
- The use of burn barrels for any open burning at residential structures.
Burning is be allowed in burn barrels with a ¼ inch mesh top from dawn to dusk only.
Under drought and dry weather conditions, fire risk is higher. As of the latest drought monitor, half of Monroe County is under a moderate drought.
The following counties are under a burn ban:
- Bartholomew
- Brown
- Clay
- Daviess
- Dearborn
- Delaware
- Dubois
- Fayette
- Floyd
- Fountain
- Franklin
- Fulton
- Gibson
- Hancock
- Harrison
- Henry
- Jackson
- Jasper
- Jay
- Jefferson
- Jennings
- Madison
- Marshall
- Martin
- Monroe
- Ohio
- Orange
- Parke
- Posey
- Randolph
- Rush
- Scott
- Shelby
- Spencer
- Switzerland
- Union
- Vanderburgh
- Vermillion
- Warrick
- Washington
