Today's special weather statement for Garland County

Issued by The National Weather Service
Little Rock, AR

Thu, Jul 5, 2012, 5:46 AM CDT

... HOT AND MOSTLY DRY WEATHER WILL CONTINUE ALONG WITH AN EXTREME FIRE DANGER...

UNSEASONABLY HOT TEMPERATURES AND SMALL RAIN CHANCES... AT BEST... WILL CONTINUE INTO THE UPCOMING WEEKEND.

MOST OF ARKANSAS IS EXPERIENCING A SEVERE DROUGHT... WITH EXTREME DROUGHT CONDITIONS ACROSS A THIRD OF THE STATE. VEGETATION HAS LARGELY DRIED OUT DUE TO INCREASED EVAPORATION RATES... SPURRED ON BY VERY HOT TEMPERATURES AND LOW HUMIDITY LEVELS IN RECENT WEEKS. AS A RESULT... WILDFIRES HAVE BECOME MORE COMMON. OVER THE LAST MONTH... A FEW HUNDRED FIRES HAVE STARTED AND HAVE BURNED SEVERAL THOUSAND ACRES OF LAND.

THE ARKANSAS FORESTRY COMMISSION HAS THE ENTIRE STATE IN AN EXTREME FIRE DANGER... AND SEVENTY OUT OF SEVENTY FIVE COUNTIES ARE UNDER BURN BANS.

OUTDOOR BURNING IS STRONGLY DISCOURAGED IN ARKANSAS UNTIL WIDESPREAD SUBSTANTIAL RAIN FALLS. ANY UNCONTROLLED OR ACCIDENTAL FIRES COULD COULD QUICKLY GROW OUT OF CONTROL GIVEN HOW DRY VEGETATION IS.

FURTHERMORE... THOSE HEADED OUTDOORS SHOULD PREPARE FOR THE HEAT. WEAR LIGHT COLORED LOOSE FITTING CLOTHING... DRINK PLENTY OF NON ALCOHOLIC FLUIDS AND GO TO AN AIR CONDITIONED ENVIRONMENT PERIODICALLY.