Judge Issues Rare Winter Burn Ban

After several windy days without rain, Judge Executive Jeff Noble announced a ban on “all outdoor burning in all areas of Breathitt County” due to current weather conditions and extreme forest fire risk.

The executive order, issued on Monday, January 5, prohibits outside fires until weather conditions improve with some rain.  A winter burn ban is rare during what is traditionally a wet season in the temperate climate of eastern Kentucky.  

Judge Noble noted “extreme danger of forest fires” and the need for enhanced public safety as the motivation for the ban.

The order will remain in effect until “further notice’ and until the Judge’s office rescinds it.

Judge Noble noted that outdoor campfires and cooking fires, while legally permitted, should be “kept under strict control to prevent accidental spread.”

Rain was expected on Tuesday, January 6.  Some precipitation was observed around the county, but it was not enough to mitigate the extreme fire risk.

Forecasters at the National Weather Service in Jackson currently predict that the best chance of rain will arrive on Friday and Saturday, and may be sufficient to cancel the ban.