Douglas County Emergency Management has issued a burn ban for Douglas County, effective immediately. The ban will remain in effect until further notice.

According to a press release, the ban was authorized by Jim Flory, chairman of the board of county commissioners, citing recommendations from township fire chiefs and current dry conditions.

The following activities are prohibited outdoors while the ban is in effect:

• Careless use and disposal of smoking materials, including cigarettes, cigars and pipes.
• Building, maintaining, attending or using open fires or campfires, except in permanent stoves, fireplaces, or barbecue grills in developed recreational areas or on residential sites.
• Burning of fencerows, fields, wild lands, trash or debris.