Half of Indiana counties are under a burn ban as dry conditions persist throughout the Hoosier State. According to the Indiana Department of Homeland Security, 46 counties had countywide burn bans in place as of Wednesday morning. Several factors play into the decision to declare a burn ban, which can be ordered by local fire chiefs or local legislative bodies. Several factors play into the decision, including soil conditions, relative humidity and wind speeds. Burn bans are intended to mitigate the risk of fires brought on by dry weather. Central Indiana hasn’t seen measurable rain in nearly two weeks, a driving factor behind the burn ban declarations. The orders will likely extend for a few more days, as rain chances remain slight for the area. The rules vary by locality, but generally speaking, the orders prohibit open burning and recreational fires. The counties currently affected are: Bartholomew Brown Carroll Clay Daviess Dearborn Delaware Dubois Fayette Floyd Fountain Franklin Fulton Gibson Hancock Harrison Henry Jackson Jasper Jay Jefferson Jennings Johnson Lawrence Madison Marshall Martin Monroe Ohio Orange Owen Parke Posey Randolph Ripley Rush Scott Shelby Spencer Sullivan Switzerland Union Vanderburgh Vermillion Warrick Washington