A ban on open burning has been adopted for Mathews County until further notice. County supervisors approved the emergency measure during its joint meeting with the planning commission Tuesday night.

The action was taken in response to a request from supervisor Edwina Casey, who pointed out that there had been a fire on Sunday in the lower part of the county because conditions were so dry. "It’s the driest I’ve ever seen," she said.

Area forester Jeff Darr said that other surrounding localities had imposed bans, and regional forester Dave Milby said that, on a scale from 0 to 800, conditions were at or near 700, which represents an extreme risk of wildfire. Before imposing the ban, board members adopted an emergency ordinance to allow them to regulate open burning. The ban will continue until drought conditions improve, County Administrator Stephen K. Whiteway said.
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