Amid an unusually dry winter, counties in Oklahoma have begun issuing burn bans, reports KOKH.
Most of the burn bans are in counties in the eastern part of the state, but Cimarron, Harper, and Alfalfa counties in western Oklahoma have also issued bans. As of Monday, Oklahoma had issued burn bans for 16 counties. Oklahoma hasn’t seen much rain over the past two months.
The dry spell comes after an exceptionally wet spring and summer, leading to longer grass than usual. But now all of that long grass has turned into a brittle fire hazard.
For the month of December, Will Rogers Airport in Oklahoma City has seen zero inches of rain. In November, the airport collected less than an inch of precipitation. Despite the heavy rainfall early, Oklahoma rainfall now stands at over two inches below average on the year.
