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Kary Cox, Director of Emergency Management Services in Washington County, was in the Washinton County Commissoners' Board Meeting today (Monday, October 24) to ask for an extension of the current Burn Ban for another two weeks after several fire departments in the county spent the weekend battling wildfires spread by gusting winds.

Cox said that the ground is still stressed by the drought conditions from this summer and that although rain had been falling for almost 24 hours, it was not enough to eliminate wlldfire issues. Cox said he met with all of the fire chiefs within Washington County and all of them asked for an extension. Rain not withstanding, Cox said that as soon as the rain stops later this week, the county will be back where it started with little moisture absorbed into the deepest levels, leaving the county and its citizens vulnerable once again to wildfires.

After hearing Cox's report, the Commissioner's unanimously voited to continue to the ban until November 3.