Whitley Co. outdoor burning ban remains in effect, over 3,000 acres burned

Wildfires like this have destroyed over 3,000 acres in Whitley County since Nov. 1.

Whitley County’s outdoor burning ban, which was instituted by Judge-Executive Pat White Jr. on Nov. 1, will likely remain in place a couple of weeks longer, despite Monday night’s rain.

Whitley County Projects Director Amber Owens said that as of now, county officials are hoping to be able to lift the outdoor burn ban by the middle of December.

“The ground is so dry. It is going to take a lot of rain to make up the difference,” Owens said in an e-mail.

According to the National Weather Service, as of 2 p.m. Tuesday, Williamsburg had received about 0.5 inches of rain in the last 24 hours and Corbin had received 0.61 inches of rain.

Almost all of Kentucky remains under a severe drought with part of the southeast region under an extreme drought.

Since Nov. 1, there have been 3,005 acres of land in Whitley County that have burned in wildfires, according to the Kentucky Division of Forestry.

Nearly 100 counties in Kentucky continue to have a total ban on outdoor burning in effect.