As drought dries up forests across the South and with no sign of coming rain that might help put out dozens of major wildfires, the Tennessee Valley Authority has issued a burn ban on its public lands in seven states.
The TVA on Tuesday said the ban applies to anything that might produce an open flame, from campfires to smoking cigarettes. It's even prohibited to park a car off-road where a hot tailpipe might light up dry grass or leaves.
The rules apply across Tennessee and in parts of Alabama, Georgia, Kentucky, Mississippi, North Carolina and Virginia.
Meanwhile, Tennessee Gov. Bill Haslam has banned outdoor burning in more than half the state's counties through December 15. Details can be found at the website "burnsafetn.org" http://burnsafetn.org/ .
The Tennessee Division of Forestry is currently fighting 67 wildfires over about 16,000 acres.
