High winds are continuing through today, which can make conditions unlikely to openly burn.

Greene County Sheriff Jack Williams tells Raccoon Valley Radio rural landowners should always be mindful of the weather and try not to do controlled burns on windy days. He talks about more ideal conditions for any kind of burn.

“Pretty much anything less than 10-miles-per-hour. And then, of course, make sure that it’s blowing in the right direction so you’re not sending all of the smoke into a neighbor’s house or another structure.”  

Williams is also the Jefferson Fire Chief and he describes what kinds of things landowners should have ready if they feel a fire is starting to get out of control.

“A rake of some sort to where you can pull back the grass into the burned area so that you take away the fire’s fuel. Some type of a water/fire extinguisher to help you put that out. They sell them that are just filled with are from an air compressor so you can shoot the water. UTV (utility terrain vehicle) or something so you can get around the area quickly to see what it’s doing, and then just watch fence lines and some of the new telephone poles that they’re putting in catch fire quite easily.”   

Williams reminds any rural resident who wants to openly burn should contact the sheriff’s office at 515-386-2136 and notify law enforcement of your name, the location and approximate time the burn will take place.