Spring may put floods, rushing rivers and mud on the minds of many Vermonters, but April and May are also the state’s fire season, and officials have warned against backyard burning without consulting the local fire warden.
On Monday, officials categorized many areas across Vermont as having a high fire risk, and the rest of the state’s risk was moderate. The forecast of fire conditions is updated daily.
“Certainly, taking a look at the fire danger map and seeing that it’s elevated would probably indicate that it’d be a poor choice to burn,” said Dan Dillner, the state’s forest fire supervisor.
Dillner said he’s working with the National Weather Service to decide whether a “red flag” warning will be warranted for Tuesday. The warning would not indicate a higher fire risk but rather predict that an existing fire would spread quickly and be more difficult to manage.
When the ground is not covered in snow and leaves have yet to emerge, the air becomes unusually dry, said Robert Haynes, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service in Burlington.
“Part of that exchange between plants and air helps to add a little bit of moisture back into the air,” Haynes said. “So when we have that greenery, it’s really hard for us to get those really low relative humidity values as it is when we don’t have those leaves.”
In the summer, a 50% relative humidity level would be considered dry, Dillner said.
“Today for the Champlain Valley… they’re looking at humidity of 21%. So that’s a super dry day,” he said. “If you’re a runner, you might notice that your chest is gonna burn a little today because there’s no moisture in the air.”
That low humidity is likely to dry out vegetation or debris, and could cause grass or brush to burn.
Haynes expects the dry conditions to persist through the weekend, with the exception of Wednesday, when he expects humidity to rise slightly. Wind is expected to die down over the weekend, which could reduce the risk.
Burning debris is the most common cause of wildfires in the state, according to Dillner. Of all the fires that have occurred in Vermont over the past several years, only a few have been caused naturally, he said.
In most cases, the people who started them failed to consult their fire warden, who can supply a wealth of information about how best to burn, he said. A permit from the local warden is required for burning.
“It’s usually someone that decides they’re not interested in following the rules, or don’t know, and they decide to burn anyway,” Dillner said.
When it’s safe to burn, officials from the state’s Department of Environmental Conservation urge Vermonters to reduce air pollution by allowing green materials to dry before burning them, consider wind direction and speed, making fires that burn hot, and check air quality conditions beforehand.
“Our best suggestion is to avoid burning altogether and let the materials decompose naturally,” said John Wakefield, compliance section chief with the department’s air quality and climate division.
Fire season overlaps with flood season, and officials also are warning Vermonters to avoid roads covered in water, sign up for emergency flood alerts and determine whether their residence is located in a flood hazard area.
