Arkansas Had More than 1,200 Wildfires Last Year

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Arkansas forestry officials say 2016 was a relatively quiet year for wildfires, but the fires still burned nearly 30 square miles in the state.

The Arkansas Forestry Commission says there was a total of 1,248 wildfires last year, and the busiest months were February, March and November. Officials say the top two causes of wildfires in the state were fires unintentionally started by outdoor burning and arson.

State Forester Joe Fox says officials are concerned about wildfire conditions in 2017 because of lingering drought conditions and a build-up of fuel on the ground that’s attributed to several years in a row with low wildfire activity.