QUINCY, ILL. -- UPDATED: October 14 at 11:40 a.m.
Even though we saw some rain earlier this week, it's still very dry out.
Pike County Illinois Rural Fire Departments would still like you to call the 911 center non emergency number before and after any controlled burn.
Adams County, Illinois has lifted the county burn ban, but they still encourage everyone to use caution when burning.
Remember not to burn on a windy day and make sure the fire is not too close to any buildings.
Stay with the fire at all times and until it is completely out.
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The last time the Tri State area saw a measurable rain was at least six weeks ago and is some places it was back in late June.
Because of the lack of rain and low humidity right now, there are several fire departments that have issued burn bans for their districts until further notice.
The latest fire chief to issue a burn ban was Frank Avis who is the chief of the Augusta Illinois Fire Protection District.
He says his fire department has responded to calls this week for field fires and controlled burns that have gotten out of control.
Avis says high winds that are predicted for Friday and through the weekend could add to the fire danger this weekend.
"I know that some people may want to start burning leaves, but please I ask them to hold off if they can. You start to burn one pile and the wind blows the leaves and another fire starts and before you know it, you've got a structure fire," said Avise.
As always, it's recommended that people not attempt to start a fire to burn off fields or any debris.
And Avis says you should have a water source close by if the fire begins to get out of control.
The last thing firefighters recommend is if a controlled burn does get out of control, call 911 immediately and not try to douse the fire yourself.
We urge our viewers to use caution when out traveling as well because several fires have gotten out of control and we know of at least one in the Ursa area that was still going as of 4 p.m. Friday.
If you have any photos, feel free to submit them on our Facebook page here or email them to us at news7@khqa.com but remember, don't put yourself in harms way just to get the perfect photo!
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