While there is no burn ban in effect for Guthrie County, local officials still advise residents to be cautious when burning yard waste.

Stuart Fire Chief Josh Renslow highly recommends that anyone doing a controlled burn should notify the Guthrie County Sheriff’s Office so that dispatch doesn’t give an unneeded call for any fire departments to respond. Renslow says the ongoing drought conditions in the area are susceptible for fires, “I would recommend that anybody who does burn use extreme caution because it still is very dry out. We’ve been on numerous field fires here as of lately. In town (it) might not be as dangerous because you’re surrounded by a lot of green grass. If you’re out in the country where you have – whether it’s CRP (Conservation Reserve Program) ground, any sort of crop ground around you, timbers,- that stuff’s still really dry and it’s going to burn and it’s going to burn really fast.”

Renslow also advises residents not to burn when conditions are windy, and to choose a burning site of a distance equaling at least three times the height of your burn pile away from powerlines, overhanging limbs, buildings, vehicles, and other equipment.