Kentucky wildfire causes hundreds of acres to burn. State of emergency declared
A wildfire in Estill County has burned hundreds of acres of land and caused a state of emergency, according to county officials.
The Estill County Emergency Management Agency said in a Facebook post Tuesday morning that the fire had burned 300 to 500 acres of land. A state of emergency was enacted and a burn ban was put in place until further notice. The fire started Monday, according to an executive order signed by Judge-Executive Donnie Watson.
“Crews are currently focusing on protecting property,” the emergency management agency said in a Facebook post. “(The Kentucky Department of) Forestry is providing man power and equipment to help try and contain the fire. Please avoid the area so crews can do their job.”
The burn ban makes it illegal to burn forestry, grass, crops, woodlands, marshes or other similar areas. It also makes it illegal to burn leaves or debris. Residents also are not allowed to start campfires, bonfires or warming fires, nor are they allowed to use fireworks or any other outdoor explosive materials if it’s not for emergency response purposes.