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BOONE COUNTY, MO. -- Dry, windy conditions have Mid-Missouri firefighters on alert.

They’re worried about grass fires caused by open burning.

Boone County Fire Officials said it’s still legal to burn, but they don’t recommend it.

A red flag warning means fire conditions are critical.  Most of the red flag warnings are west of us, but conditions are still favorable for grass fires in Mid-Missouri.  Boone County Firefighters said above average temperatures and strong winds are keeping the fire danger very high to extreme this weekend.

Boone County Fire District Lt. Martina Pounds said, “With the wind, it will go really fast.  People just have to realize that if they do burn and something catches on fire and gets away from them and it catches the neighbor’s crop on fire or the neighbor’s garage, boat or something, they’ll be responsible for that.”

Pounds said bonfires are just as dangerous as open burning during these dry, windy conditions.

Pounds said, “If you have a big bonfire scheduled that you don’t want to move, then make sure you wet the area around it really well to the point that it’s almost saturated.  Do that with the garden hose. Get out there a couple of hours earlier and do that.”

If you really need to do some open burning, fire officials suggest that you wait until we get some more rain.

Farmers should be watching for grass fires while harvesting in dry fields.