As residents may want to burn yard waste this time of year, the Panora Fire Department urges property owners to keep an eye on several elements when doing an open burn.

Panora Assistant Fire Chief Ed Haver advises people to be mindful of wind speed and direction to prevent a fire, ash, or coals from blowing onto a structure or someone else’s property. He says if you’re performing a burn on brown grass, fire can travel much faster due to dryness. Haver adds, it’s crucial to make sure a fire is completely out once you are finished, “Sometimes people, say if they’re burning a brush pile, they think that they have it out and there’s coals that are buried beneath brush that as the wind blows it kindles the fire and they don’t realize how long things stay hot and that they have to put water around them, stir things around, and make sure they’re out or covered with something.”

The cities of Guthrie Center, Panora, and Stuart do not have time or date restrictions for when a person can burn yard waste, but Haver advises residents to read their city’s burn code if they are unfamiliar. He also recommends residents call the Guthrie County Sheriff’s Office at 641-747-2214 to inform them when you are doing a controlled burn so agencies are made aware.