The governor’s office announced today the release of $100,000 from the Governor’s Disaster Fund to help with the response to wildfires in the state. The funds will go to the Arkansas National Guard.

Since Friday night, ANG has been the primary source of air support and water drops for the firefighting efforts. Today alone, Black Hawk helicopter crews have conducted more than 40 water drops in Clark, Cleveland, Dallas, Nevada and Polk Counties. Dozens of additional water drops have been made since Friday in Benton, Garland, Pike and Scott Counties. On the ground, 46 guardsmen have helped firefighting efforts at and near Fort Chaffee.

There are currently burn bans in 54 Arkansas counties, with the entire state under a high fire danger warning. The Arkansas Forestry Commission reports nine counties with active fires burning as of Monday afternoon.

Help to Keep Great Journalism Alive in Arkansas

Join the fight for truth and become a subscriber of the Arkansas Times. We've been battling powerful forces for 50 years through our tough, determined, and feisty journalism. With over 63,000 Facebook followers, 58,000 Twitter followers, 35,000 Arkansas blog followers, and 70,000 daily email blasts, our readers value great journalism. But we need your help to do even more. By subscribing and supporting our efforts, you'll not only have access to all of our articles, but you'll also be helping us hire more writers to expand our coverage. Together, we can continue to hold the powerful accountable and bring important stories to light. Subscribe now or donate for as little as $1 and be a part of the Arkansas Times community.

Previous article About face from pension board Next article Highway Dept. worker run over by grader