Not so controlled burn

1/11/2019 (Permalink)

Burning debris in spring

With spring right around the corner, a lot of people are gearing up to start burning all the debris they have to get rid of it. But there are many hidden dangers in doing so. According to the National Weather Service is advising people to check weather conditions before starting any controlled burns.

 They also remind us that Fire danger increases rapidly in the spring once the snow beings to melt, especially in windy lower elevation spots. These conditions often result in several agricultural burns getting out of control year after year. 

 It doesn’t take long once the snow begins to melt for fire danger to rapidly increase even after a cool and wet winter. The persistent spring wind only serves to further dry vegetation and literally provides more fuel for the fire. A wind-whipped fire in quick-burning dormant vegetation can cause a burn to easily become uncontrollable.

It is common for calm morning wind to give way to gusty wind around the midday hours during the spring months. A weather forecast of how and when the wind speed and direction may change during the day can mean the difference between a successful burn and having an animated discussion with your local fire warden.

The National Weather Service in Riverton is advising people to get the most up-to-date weather forecast before conducting agricultural burns.

If you have a fire disaster give SERVPRO a call today at (208) 523-5365.