NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WTVF) — Drought conditions are hitting the country hard, and the impact can be felt in Middle Tennessee. A few cities have placed burn bans in effect to help protect property, vegetation, and life.
Cities in Middle Tennessee that have bans in place are Brentwood, Rutherford County, Lawrenceburg, Mt. Juliet and Dickson.
The conditions are very concerning in some cities like Lawrenceburg. They’ve seen brush fires this week in Lawrence County.
They're now taking proactive safety measures by temporarily staffing volunteer firefighters at the Fire Training Center Station for faster response times.
Examples of fires that are prohibited during the ban are bonfires, campfires, grills, wood, household waste, leaves, or debris.
According to the drought monitor for the state of TN Nashville, Murfreesboro and Dickson are in a moderate drought.
Clarksville and east of Murfreesboro are in the abnormal range. Conditions are far worse in the southern portion of the state with heavy risks in Memphis and Morristown.
Over 4 million Tennesseans are in areas of drought which is a 200% increase since last week. This number could go up as the state continues to go without significant rain.
A violation of a Commissioner of Agriculture imposed burn ban is considered reckless burning, a misdemeanor charge.
It could come with a fine of $2,500 or almost a year in jail.
