Sebastian County lifts burn bans following winter weather

Following a Sunday storm that dropped snow and sleet across the region, most local counties lifted burn bans that had been in effect for weeks due to dry and windy conditions.

Burn bans that were lifted Monday, a day that saw many schools and businesses closed due to several inches of snow on the ground, included Crawford County, Sebastian County, and Washington County.

The only burn bans still in effect in the Fort Smith and Northwest Arkansas regions were Carroll, Newton and Yell Counties, according to the Arkansas Forestry Commission. The AFC also downgraded all of Arkansas to a low risk of wildfires as of Feb. 3.

The risk of wildfires should remain low throughout the rest of the week as temperatures should remain low, with the National Weather Service in Tulsa predicting several chances of wintry precipitation throughout the remainder of this week.

Officials in Sebastian County reminded residents that even though the burn ban was no longer in effect, all controlled burns must still be reported to the Sebastian County Sheriff's Office at (479) 783-1051.