At this time of the year, it’s common to hear about fire danger as grass and foliage start to turn green. Charles Brown, Iowa State University Extension farm management specialist for southeast Iowa, says fire danger isn’t a problem just yet.

“Currently things are still wet, still damp, so there’s really no fire danger right now.  If we could get some hot winds that are blowing to dry out cornstalks and that kind of thing, there could be some fire damage.  But we’re in no danger here right now because things are just pretty damp.”

But today’s strong winds can make a fire spread out of control very quickly.  If you have questions about burning and getting a burning permit, contact your local county sheriff’s office.