Continued dry weather has prompted the Huntington County Commissioners to institute a ban on burning throughout Huntington County.

The ban takes effect on Friday, June 15, at 4 p.m. and is in effect for seven days. It will be re-evaluated on Friday, June 22.

The ban covers all of Huntington County, including cities and towns.

"We're trying to be proactive instead of reactive," explains Brian Topp, interim director of the Huntington County Emergency Management Agency.

The commissioners consulted with Topp and area fire chiefs before declaring the ban.
The ban includes campfires, burning of brush or garbage and the use of fireworks, Topp says. Violators can be arrested and charged with a Class B misdemeanor.

"I encourage people to use common sense," Topp says. "The biggest thing is don't be burning ditches, don't be burning brush files, don't be flicking your cigarette out the window."

Topp says Huntington County is one of 15 counties in northeast Indiana under burn bans.