Drought 2012: Burn Ban in Effect in Linn County

There is a ban on open burning in Linn County, due to dry conditions.

Burn bans are requested locally and are issued by the state fire marshal. Mike Goldberg, Linn County emergency management coordinator, requested the ban, which went into effect on July 6.

The ban will be in effect until a local official notifies the state fire marshal of an intent to lift the ban, when weather conditions permit.

Fire chiefs have the discretion to issue permits to burn during the ban. Violation of the ban is a simple misdemeanor.

Cedar Falls Patch has reported about a . A local official there called this the worst drought in decades.

Twenty-one Eastern Iowa counties, including Johnson County, are also under burn bans, according to the Iowa Department of Public Safety, State Fire Marshal Division.

Several parts of the country have declared state of emergency or have been designated disaster areas due to drought conditions.