Spring Temperatures Finally on the Rise
Gale Blomenkamp, Division Chief/PIO - Friday, April 17, 2009
With springtime temperatures on the rise for this week, the Boone County Fire Protection District would like to offer these reminders to the citizens of Boone County during these warm days ahead.
During the winter months, grasses and weeds either die off or go dormant which means there is no uptake of moisture into the plant during the late winter or early spring and with above normal moisture last year, the vegetation may be thicker than normal.
Here are a few reminders for everyone to follow:
• Check local weather forecasts prior to any open burning. Winds are predicted to be high this weekend.
• Winds are typically calmer and humidity is typically higher during the morning hours.
• Be sure to provide a safe barrier around your prescribed burn. This may be achieved by mowing a clean strip around the area or by scrapping it down to bare dirt.
• Have a water source nearby. A garden hose works well if used early in the event of a fire moving to quickly.
• Never burn materials that are close to any structure.
• Burn small areas at a time.
• Never leave a fire area unattended whether it is a burn barrel or a prescribed burn.
• Notify the Joint Communications Center at 573-442-6131 prior to lighting your fire.
• Call 911 immediately if the fire grows larger or moves more rapidly than anticipated.
• If your fire burns out of control and causes damage to someone else’s property, you will be held liable for damages. This includes buildings, crops and even grasses.
• When in doubt call your local fire department for advice before burning.
The Boone County Fire District anticipates a very busy fire season. The typical natural cover fire season is just beginning and will continue through March and into April. Only when the grasses turn green and the weeds come out of dormancy will we see a slow down here in Boone County.
For more information contact the Boone County Fire Protection District at 573-447-5000 during normal business hours and 573-442-6131 during nights and weekends or your local fire jurisdiction.
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