Warren County Commissioners have issued a temporary burn ban for the county that will go into effect at 3 p.m. Thursday, April 2, and remain in effect until midnight April 30.

It is being put into place to avoid further taxing county and local emergency services and to support the health and welfare of county residents amid the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic.

The resolution bans all open burning, which the county said is defined as the ignition and subsequent burning of any combustible material out-of-doors either in a burn barrel or on the ground.

The use of propane of gas stoves, charcoal briquet grills, or the use of tobacco in any form is not covered under this.

Commissioners are encouraging residents to consider alternatives to burning, which could include compost, pile up or mulch leaves in your lawn to provide nutrients to the soil; bag leaves and take to a municipal compost facility; chip, and mulch small limbs and brush; or build brush piles in your woods to provide nesting and escape habitat for wildlife.