GREENE COUNTY, Va. (CBS19 NEWS) -- A local state of emergency has been declared in Greene County and a burn ban is now in place.

The Greene County Director of Emergency Services declared the emergency, based on drought conditions earlier this month. 

The county Board of Supervisors then ratified the emergency.

Greene County ordinances do not address the institution of a burn ban, so the supervisors voted on an emergency ordinance on Nov. 14 to allow the county’s Emergency Services Director to limit all outdoor fires as necessary.

Under this emergency ordinance, no one may burn any items outside or dispose of any burning embers outside due to the threat of wildfires.

This includes the burning of leaves, garbage, shrubbery, fire pits, open-air grills and campfires.

Additionally, no one should be discarding any smoking materials, including cigarettes, pipe tobacco, cigars and the like, outside unless these materials have been totally extinguished.

A violation of this ban will be a Class 1 misdemeanor and law enforcement officers can issue a summons directly to a person violating it.

There will be a public hearing on Dec. 12 during the regular meeting of the supervisors regarding the ordinance change.