City of Moberly issues burn ban amid weather service fire warning
Matthew Sanders
COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)
The City of Moberly advised residents not to burn anything on Friday, as the area is experiencing conditions that increase the risk of outdoor fires spreading out of control.
The National Weather Service issued a red flag warning for most of Mid-Missouri on Friday, as the combination of dry vegetation and air, along with high winds, made fires especially dangerous. The alert is in effect from noon to 6 p.m. Friday.
Winds out of the southwest are expected to gust at up to 30 mph.
The City of Moberly said in a news release that Fire Chief Don Ryan made the call to prohibit outdoor burning until the red flag warning expires.
“Even small fires can escalate quickly under today’s conditions,” the release states.
Boone County firefighters were called to the Sturgeon area for a wildfire that had burned about 5 acres Friday morning. The fire was a controlled burn that got out of control amid the high winds, firefighters said.
Three Boone County Fire Protection District trucks with 15 firefighters total were at the scene. The fire had jumped a road and threatened a structure, but firefighters stopped it before it damaged the building.
“When we have high winds and low humidities like we do today, fires get out of control very quickly, and we just urge people not to burn at all on days like today,” Boone County Fire Capt. Wayne Cummins said.