More than 1,200 wildfires reported in Arkansas last year

People work to put out a Wednesday wildfire triggered when a pile of chicken manure caught fire in a barn as it threatens property near Charleston in Franklin County. Agriculture experts are warning farmers to make sure their waste piles don’t grow too high because the can catch fire through spontaneous combustion.
People work to put out a Wednesday wildfire triggered when a pile of chicken manure caught fire in a barn as it threatens property near Charleston in Franklin County. Agriculture experts are warning farmers to make sure their waste piles don’t grow too high because the can catch fire through spontaneous combustion.

LITTLE ROCK — Arkansas forestry officials say 2016 was a relatively quiet year for wildfires, but the fires still burned nearly 30 square miles in the state.

The Arkansas Forestry Commission says there was a total of 1,248 wildfires last year, and the busiest months were February, March and November. Officials say the top two causes of wildfires in the state were fires unintentionally started by outdoor burning and arson.

State Forester Joe Fox said officials are concerned about wildfire conditions in 2017 because of lingering drought conditions and a build-up of fuel on the ground that's attributed to several years in a row with low wildfire activity.

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