Central Illinois has been placed under a Red Flag Warning, which is what that means

FULTON COUNTY, Ill. (WMBD) – The next two days may not be good days for a campfire.

The National Weather Service issued an advisory for areas including all of central Illinois.

This means there is essentially a ban on burning, but from a source outside of a community.

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Chris Helle, director of the Fulton County Emergency Services and Disaster Agency, said these warnings were based on measurements of heat and wind.

“Generally it occurs under certain conditions when we have winds at 20 feet, so winds 20 feet above the ground,” he said. “We don’t want to do open burning. We want to be very cautious about outdoor activities and make sure we protect first responders, farmers, structures and everyone involved.”

Helle also said there are ways for people to prevent fires.

“Now is not a good time for any type of outdoor fire,” he said. “So probably conditions (like this) tomorrow too.” Things like burning brush piles, leaves, campfires, burn barrels, etc. are strongly discouraged. And depending on the decision of the local fire department, it could also be banned.”

Further updates on the weather for the next few days can be found here.

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