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Two-thirds of Indiana counties under burn bans

Burn Bans 9/18

INDIANAPOLIS (WISH) — Central Indiana could be on the way to one of its driest Septembers on record. Burn bans have been implemented in 62 of the 92 Indiana counties as a result.

Burn bans in place as of 3 p.m. on Sept. 19, 2024. (WISH Photo)

County leaders make the decisions with these burn bans. They can be issued based on the following:

  • Soil conditions.
  • Relative humidity.
  • Wind speeds.

Clearly, the rainfall deficit is evident not only for September, but stretching back 30 days. Most spots in central Indiana are 2-4 inches behind average.

(WISH Image)

Relative humidity has been pretty low with our dry air locked in place. In recent days (and likely heading into the weekend), relative humidity has been bottoming out from 20-40%.

Winds have not been terribly gusty the last few days in the state. Gusts have consistently topped out around 20 mph since this past weekend.

There is some hope for rain going forward in the forecast. You can find the latest 7-day forecast by visiting our weather blog here.

This story has been updated with new information.