On Friday, county fire and health department officials lifted the ban on open burning that was put in place two weeks ago.

Officials suspended issuing licenses to conduct open fires throughout the county on April 14 because of drought conditions and an increased risk of brush fires.

The Anne Arundel County Health Department resumed issuing licenses to conduct open fires on Friday.

Details from the press release follow:

Although the open burning ban has been lifted, County Fire Officials are asking that residents continue to exercise caution and take the appropriate steps to avoid accidentally starting such fires:  

• Ensure that matches and smoking materials are disposed of properly.
• Exercise caution when using grills or other cooking equipment outside.
• Take the appropriate steps to prevent fire from spreading when working with tools that have open flames or produce sparks.
• Keep matches and lighters out of the hands of children.

For more information on open fire restrictions, see the Department of Health's website.