Nebraska burn ban remains through April 10 as 12 Iowa counties face bans

"It was coming really fast, the wind was blowing really fast."

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A dozen counties across Iowa remain under burn bans as dry conditions and strong winds continue to raise the risk of dangerous fires.Over the weekend, several fires spread quickly across the state, including one in Warren County that burned acres of farmland and came close to homes north of Martensdale. Jeremy Haack, a Warren County, Iowa resident, said the fire moved rapidly after starting during a controlled burn nearby.“It came across the fence line here, there was some tall grass, it started coming right down the tall grass, caught our telephone pole, our electrical line on fire,” Haack said.Warren County was under a Red Flag Advisory over the weekend, but it did not have a county burn ban in place, meaning officials could not stop private controlled burns.“It was coming really fast, the wind was blowing really fast, and I thought they needed a couple different fire departments out here to really contain it. I was really concerned not just for our property or our house, but also our neighbors, and our gas tank out there. It just could have really gotten out of hand,” Haack said.Similar fires were reported elsewhere in Iowa. In Lucas County, a fire started as the volunteer fire department was conducting a controlled burn. In Woodbury County, where a burn ban is in place, a large field fire destroyed several buildings and sent one person to the hospital.Jeremy Cooper, emergency management director for Guthrie and Adair counties, said even a small breeze can turn dangerous when vegetation is dry.“When it’s windy like it always is in Iowa, it seems like it gets hard and it just spreads that fire extensively and then you’re playing catch-up and trying to get ahead of it,” Cooper said. He said burn bans are typically issued by emergency management officials, and there can be consequences for ignoring them.“It is an Iowa Code, it’s a simple misdemeanor to burn during a burn ban,” Cooper said. You can see all the Iowa counties under a burn ban on the interactive map below.Governor Jim Pillen extended the statewide burn ban on March 26 after it had been set to expire March 28.The executive order keeps the burn ban in place across Nebraska as dry conditions continue to raise wildfire concerns. The new burn ban will continue through April 10th.Officials in both states are urging people to avoid outdoor burning as dry and windy conditions continue.Make sure you can always see the latest news, weather, sports and more from KETV NewsWatch 7 on Google search.NAVIGATE: Home | Weather | Local News | National | Sports | Newscasts on demand |

A dozen counties across Iowa remain under burn bans as dry conditions and strong winds continue to raise the risk of dangerous fires.

Over the weekend, several fires spread quickly across the state, including one in Warren County that burned acres of farmland and came close to homes north of Martensdale.

Jeremy Haack, a Warren County, Iowa resident, said the fire moved rapidly after starting during a controlled burn nearby.

“It came across the fence line here, there was some tall grass, it started coming right down the tall grass, caught our telephone pole, our electrical line on fire,” Haack said.

Warren County was under a Red Flag Advisory over the weekend, but it did not have a county burn ban in place, meaning officials could not stop private controlled burns.

“It was coming really fast, the wind was blowing really fast, and I thought they needed a couple different fire departments out here to really contain it. I was really concerned not just for our property or our house, but also our neighbors, and our gas tank out there. It just could have really gotten out of hand,” Haack said.

Similar fires were reported elsewhere in Iowa. In Lucas County, a fire started as the volunteer fire department was conducting a controlled burn. In Woodbury County, where a burn ban is in place, a large field fire destroyed several buildings and sent one person to the hospital.

Jeremy Cooper, emergency management director for Guthrie and Adair counties, said even a small breeze can turn dangerous when vegetation is dry.

“When it’s windy like it always is in Iowa, it seems like it gets hard and it just spreads that fire extensively and then you’re playing catch-up and trying to get ahead of it,” Cooper said.

He said burn bans are typically issued by emergency management officials, and there can be consequences for ignoring them.

“It is an Iowa Code, it’s a simple misdemeanor to burn during a burn ban,” Cooper said.

You can see all the Iowa counties under a burn ban on the interactive map below.

Governor Jim Pillen extended the statewide burn ban on March 26 after it had been set to expire March 28.

The executive order keeps the burn ban in place across Nebraska as dry conditions continue to raise wildfire concerns. The new burn ban will continue through April 10th.

Officials in both states are urging people to avoid outdoor burning as dry and windy conditions continue.