At the request of 72 fire chiefs across the county, Delaware County Council has enacted a 30-day fire ban on most open burning because of dry conditions, writes Kathleen E. Carey for the Daily Times.

Delaware County is in a Drought Watch.

“In the past 30 days, we’ve had 94 brush fires and several of them have been fairly significant brush fires, as well, where multiple companies had to respond to them,” said Larry Bak, Delaware County’s deputy director of Emergency Management.

Several municipalities, including Upper Darby, Brookhaven, and Nether Providence, have issued their own bans..

The ban means no burning of combustible material outside, including garbage, leaves, grass, twigs, litter, paper, vegetative matter involved with land clearing, or any debris, whether or not it’s in a screened or unscreened burn barrel, fire ring, or on the ground.

The ban does not apply to propane or gas stoves, or charcoal briquette grills.

Tobacco use is allowed but Bak cautions residents to think about whether to smoke outside or not.

Campfires are allowed in fire rings that are located in properly licensed campgrounds. Read what happens if you violate the ban and see how you can conserve water in the Daily Times.