Burn Ban Now in Effect in Cedar Rapids

The continued dangers of tree and other debris left behind by last week's derecho, combined with continued humid weather conditions, make for an extremely dangerous combination, leading to a burn ban now in effect in Cedar Rapids, according to KCRG.

The Cedar Rapids Police Department's post on Facebook explains more:

Grilling and outdoor cooking are not prohibited under the ban, only the incineration of yard waste, as well as "outdoor recreational burning" which has seemingly been a prevalent activity in recent days as residents waiting for city crews to work through a long process have perhaps grown impatient to have debris removed from their yards.

Furthermore, recreational burning affects those with health issues such as asthma and other breathing difficulties and aggravates humid conditions near homes whose power and air conditioning still haven't been restored and must keep windows open to cool their homes at this time.

"Firefighters and police officers continue to respond to approximately 350-400 daily emergency calls, and 700-800 non-emergency calls. Normally the average is 200 emergency and 500 non-emergency calls. Firefighters have seen several fires caused by generators too close to residential properties."

Authorities remind you to keep generators at least 20 feet away from homes and other structures. They report having responded to several fires or smoke-related incidents when power was restored to homes.

Please be safe and heed guidance from authorities who are trying to clean up our community.