With drought, comes fire danger.
Currently, fire danger for the area is class 2, which means fire departments aren’t issuing burn permits for brush, but are allowing for campfires. While that’s a moderate class day, said New Ipswich Fire Chief Meredith Lund, people shouldn’t take that as a signal to be complacent.
“That is not a good reflection of the situation we are in with the drought,” said Lund. “Because the fire danger is determined more by how quickly fire will spread across the surface. While our surface fuels are relatively green, underneath it is very dry. If there are any brush fires, they go very deep and burn down into the ground rather than spread out.”
And the drought situation has left many water sources low, said Lund. Currently, she said, if there is a first alarm fire in town, mutual aid towns that wouldn’t normally be roused until a second alarm are notified to get on the road to make sure there is an adequate water supply.
“There’s just not enough water sources in town if we had anything major,” said Lund.
Lund advised residents to police any campfires they do light, and ensure there is a good ring of nonflammable material surrounding them, that they are well attended and a water source like a bucket or hose is nearby. Take extra time to ensure any fires are out before leaving them. Do not throw lit cigarette butts out of the car window and do not burn brush.