(Versailles, Ind.) - Ripley County has now been added to the list of counties under a burn ban.

Recent dry weather has heightened the likelihood that outdoor fires could quickly get out of control. Because of that, Ripley County Commissioners signed a no-burn order on Monday.

According to the proclamation, restricted activities include campfires and other recreational fires; open burning of any kind using conventional fuel such as wood, or other combustible matter, with the exception of grills fueled by charcoal briquettes or propane; the burning of debris, such as timber or vegetation, including such debris that results from building construction activities and; the use of burn barrels for any open burning in residential structures.

Residents should also wait to remove charcoal from grills until it cools.

VIEW A COPY OF THE RIPLEY COUNTY NO BURN DECLARATION HERE.

Ohio, Switzerland, and Franklin counties also have county-wide burn bans in effect. Dearborn County remains one of just three counties in southern Indiana to not enact a ban.

The Indiana Department of Homeland Security now has 63 counties with some type of burn ban in effect.

According to the National Weather Service, much of southeast Indiana has experienced one inch to one-half inch of rain in the past 30days - about two to three inches less than normal for the same period of time.

LINKS:

National Weather Service Observed Precipitation - http://water.weather.gov/precip/

IDHS Statewide Burn Ban List and Map - http://www.in.gov/dhs/files/burn-ban/