Schuylkill County will forbid outdoor burning starting at noon Friday.

The burn ban, enacted by county commissioners on Wednesday, is scheduled to end on May 22.Commissioners took the action after listening to a request by county emergency management coordinator John Matz.Matz said a poll of fire chiefs and a recommendation from district forester Timothy Ladner led to the request.The weather has been dry, and a lack of green vegetation in the early spring escalates the threat of wildfires.The National Weather Service is forecasting a 40 percent chance of showers Thursday night and a 60 percent chance on Friday.