About half of Arkansas under burn bans

About half of Arkansas is under a burn ban Friday, according to Arkansas Forestry Commission officials.

Forestry commission officials said five more Arkansas counties — Izard, Newton, Yell, Sebastian and Crawford — have been placed under a burn ban since Thursday, bringing the total to 37 counties.

A continuous series of cold air masses sweeping the state has brought strong winds that, when coupled with low humidity levels, brings an increased risk of wildfires, the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette reported.

Arkansas Forestry Commission spokesman Adriane Barnes said the bans have helped decrease wildfires, the newspaper reported. County judges generally issue bans if winds are 10 to 20 mph and humidity levels are between 20 and 40 percent.

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