Moderate temperatures and steady winds have left many areas of Iowa dry, increasing the threat of grass fires in the Cedar Valley. Due to the conditions, most of Black Hawk County is under a burn ban starting Saturday (April 28, 2018).

The State Fire Marshal's Office has ordered the burn ban at the request of Lorie Glover, Black Hawk County's Emergency Management Director. In her request, she stated that many rural fire departments have recently responded to multiple fires that have gotten out of control.

The ban officially begins at midnight. The order effects Dunkerton, Evansdale, Gilbertville, Hudson, La Porte City and Raymond. The ban does not effect Cedar Falls or Waterloo, where a perpetual ban is already in place.

UPDATE (April 30, 2018): The National Weather Serivce is Des Moines issued this statement at 4:41 AM Monday morning, "Southerly winds will increase to 20 to 25 mph by this afternoon, with gusts to near 40 mph at times. Relative humidity will fall to around 30 percent in the afternoon and surface fuels remain very dry. The combination of dry and windy conditions will lead to a very high fire danger for much of the day. Open burning is discouraged, and any fires that start may spread quickly."

For more information, contact the Black Hawk County Emergency Management Agency at 319-291-4373.

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