Extreme drought now covers nearly a quarter of Arkansas as all 75 counties sit under burn bans

LITTLE ROCK — The drought gripping Arkansas got measurably worse this week, with new federal data showing extreme drought has spread to more than 22 percent of the state and exceptional drought — the worst category on the scale — has doubled in size since last Thursday.

The U.S. Drought Monitor update released Thursday morning, based on conditions through Tuesday, puts 92 percent of Arkansas in moderate drought or worse. Nearly 62 percent of the state is in severe drought or worse, up from 54 percent a week ago. Extreme drought expanded from 17.9 percent to 22.4 percent of the state in a single week, and exceptional drought, confined to a pocket of southeast Arkansas, grew from just under 1 percent to nearly 2 percent.

Not one square mile of the state is drought-free.

The numbers land as every county in Arkansas is under a burn ban for the first time this year. The Arkansas Department of Agriculture reported Tuesday that all 75 counties had enacted bans, and the state’s wildfire risk rating remains at high statewide.

A drought that came back

Arkansas has been dealing with drought in some form since the fall of 2025, but the picture in late spring was far worse than it is now. In late May, more than half the state was in extreme drought and 15 percent was in exceptional drought. Rains in June and July pulled those numbers down sharply — by the end of July, extreme drought covered less than 7 percent of Arkansas and nearly 18 percent of the state had dropped out of drought entirely.

Then the rain stopped. A hot, largely dry stretch since mid-July has produced what meteorologists call a flash drought, and the recovery has unwound in about six weeks. Since the start of August, the share of Arkansas in extreme drought has nearly quadrupled.

The contrast with last year is stark. At this point in September 2025, no part of Arkansas was in extreme or exceptional drought.

Fires, bans and disaster declarations

The Department of Agriculture’s Forestry Division says the state has recorded well over 300 wildfires since Aug. 1, according to Robert Murphy, the department’s emergency services director, who spoke to KNOE this week. Fire officials say fuels across the state — dry grass, leaf litter, dead trees and pine needles in the south — are now dry enough that small ignitions can escape quickly.

County judges, who issue and lift burn bans, have been adding restrictions steadily since mid-August. The count stood at 66 counties on Sept. 3, 68 on Sept. 4, 71 by Labor Day weekend and 72 by Sunday. Faulkner and Lonoke counties were the last holdouts before the statewide total reached 75 on Tuesday.

At least three counties have gone further and declared local disaster areas because of the drought: Izard County on Sept. 3, Independence County on Sept. 5 and Lawrence County this week. Independence County Judge Kevin Jeffery cited extreme hot and dry conditions threatening life, property and county agricultural operations. The declarations help county officials coordinate emergency response and create a formal record of conditions, but they do not on their own unlock state or federal money.

Little relief in the forecast

The National Weather Service in North Little Rock says parts of northern and central Arkansas could see marginal rainfall between Thursday and Sunday, but forecasters have been blunt that it will not move the needle. Rainfall deficits in some areas run 10 to 15 inches or more, and temperatures are expected to stay in the 90s through the end of the month. August and September are historically the driest months of the year in Arkansas, and long-range guidance points to a hotter- and drier-than-normal September.

What officials are asking

The Department of Agriculture is asking Arkansans to avoid all outdoor burning — including campfires, trash burning and open-flame grilling — regardless of whether they believe their county’s ban applies to them. Officials are also warning about less obvious ignition sources: vehicles parked over tall grass, dragging trailer safety chains, lawn equipment, welding, farm machinery and cigarettes tossed from car windows.

Violating a county burn ban is a misdemeanor and can carry fines, jail time and restitution for the cost of the fire response.

Wildfires should be reported immediately to 911 or the Forestry Division dispatch line at 1-800-468-8834. Prescribed burns must be reported before ignition at 1-800-830-8015. Current burn ban status by county is posted on the Department of Agriculture’s county fire map.

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Drought Monitor: Arkansas, percent of state by category

Week of	Moderate+ (D1–D4)	Severe+ (D2–D4)	Extreme+ (D3–D4)	Exceptional (D4)
Sept. 8, 2026	92.1%	61.7%	22.4%	1.97%
Sept. 1, 2026	88.2%	54.1%	17.9%	0.99%
Aug. 25, 2026	84.9%	46.8%	13.3%	0.99%
Aug. 4, 2026	50.6%	21.9%	6.0%	0.99%
May 26, 2026	99.1%	84.3%	54.1%	15.1%
Sept. 9, 2025	48.7%	14.5%	0.0%	0.0%

Source: U.S. Drought Monitor, National Drought Mitigation Center. Categories are cumulative.