Richland County Emergency Management director Brett Lambrecht issued a statement on Tuesday declaring a fire emergency and burn ban due to the extremely dry conditions and high winds.

The burn ban includes garbage burning, campfires and burning of farm or crop land when the North Dakota Rangeland Fire Index is in the low, medium, high, very high or extreme category and/or a red flag warning has been issued.

Richland County is currently one of 8 counties in the state in the very high risk category.

Burn ban restrictions are currently in all but eight counties in the state.

Any individual who violates the burn ban is subject to penalty under the law.