(issued 9:54-a.m. Sat., March 10 2012)

The National Weather Service in Des Moines says there is a very high fire danger today across parts of west central/central and south central Iowa. In our area, this includes: Crawford, Carroll, Audubon, Guthrie, Cass, Adair, Adams, Madison, Dallas, Union, Taylor and Ringgold Counties.

Officials say the combination of strong gusty winds, warm temperatures and low humidity, along with already dry vegetation, will result in a very high fire danger today. That means fires can quickly get out of control and spread rapidly.

Avoid burning outdoors if at all possible, today. If you must burn, notify your local fire department, manage fires very closely and do not leave fires unattended. When finished with your intended burn, make sure the fire is completely out, to avoid the possibility of smoldering embers reigniting a blaze.

As a reminder, the Grassland Fire Danger Index for Monona, Harrison, Shelby, Pottawattamie, Mills, Montgomery, Fremont and Page Counties, is in the EXTREME category today.