Recent dry, windy weather conditions have increased the fire danger to the point where Temple Fire Warden Mike Connolly said Monday that mowing a lawn could be hazardous.

“If your mower’s blade hits a rock and makes a spark, there you go,” he said.

The conditions have been cited in recent wildfires, led to bans on outdoor burning in Monadnock region towns and prompted a red flag fire warning from the National Weather Service over the weekend. In issuing the warning on Friday, the National Weather Service cited northwest winds of 10 to 15 mph, with gusts up to 25 mph, and relative humidity as low as 20%. Dry vegetation combined with these conditions increases the risk of rapid fire spread. The NWS discouraged outdoor burning, and urged people to consult with local fire officials before doing so, and stated that campfires should never be left unattended and must be fully extinguished before leaving.

On Nov. 12, when the fire danger was rated at “very high,” nearly 100 firefighters from 22 crews responded to a six-acre brush fire in Mason. Mason Fire Chief Eric Rantamaki said that crews returned to the scene Wednesday to put out some lingering smoldering areas.

“I’ve checked it every day since, just to keep an eye on it, but there have been no hot spots since,” Rantamaki said.

Rantamaki said small volunteer-based departments don’t have the manpower available to have a large amount of staff on call during high-danger times. He said as one of the few members who lives in close proximity to the department, when a call comes through, he responds immediately, and if there is a basis for the call, he usually has to immediately call for a second alarm to get mutual aid on the scene. When Friday’s red flag warning was put into place, Rantamaki warned citizens that no burning was allowed.

“No fire pits, no burning trash, no burning leaves – do not throw your cigarette butts our your window,” Rantamaki said.

Antrim Fire Chief Marshall Gale said the situation is critical for fire safety. The town is not issuing any outdoor fire permits until drought conditions are reversed.

“We are at a 5½-inch deficit of what we usually see in the fall for rain. We are in an extended period of high fire danger,” Gale said Friday. “Fortunately, in Antrim, people are being vigilant and we have not had any problems. We did have a small, 50-by-50 foot fire last week, but it was a result of a downed wire. With the wind conditions we have forecast for the next several days, it would not take much for a fire to get out of control.”

In Greenfield, Fire Chief Jeff LaCourse said he has not seen conditions this dry for several years.

“It’s very dry out there, and is going to stay that way until we get snow. The water tables are very low; humidity is very low, and we have had a lot of wind. We ask that people be aware and be careful, because if things get going, they are going to more fast,” LaCourse said.

LaCourse said Greenfield has been fortunate to have no brush fires this year.

“We’ve had fires all around us, and in Massachusetts,” he said. “We are not issuing any burn permits and we really ask people to be very careful. Last year we had a 12-acre brush fire, but this year so far we’ve been lucky.”

Greenfield Fire Department Capt. Mike Borden said fire danger is in the red flag zone.

“We request no outside burning of any kind until we get substantial rain,” Borden said.

Connolly said conditions are now such that they’re sharing the weather reports on social media to alert people as to the elevated danger at hand.

“Not everybody is going to drive through town and see a billboard about the risk,” he said. “Facebook has been how we’re getting the word out.”

In addition to dry conditions, Connolly said that poorly maintained wood stoves can lead to brush fires.

“If you see sparks floating outside from the fire inside, there you go,” he said. “If you’re having a fire inside, but you see sparks outside, shut it down.”

Explaining the drought

Meteorologist Cyrena Arnold of Francestown said the Monadnock region is in a moderate drought.

“The top two-thirds of New Hampshire are abnormally dry, the bottom third is in a moderate drought, with the seacoast in a severe drought,” Arnold said Friday. “For Cheshire County, the last drought was July to September of 2022. The region had a similar drought from July to October of 2020, and also in June of 2018, so this happens about every two years. September saw the lowest rainfall we have had in this region for 24 years.”

According to Arnold, the dry weather pattern will probably persist for a few more weeks partly due to “La Nina” conditions.

“As for why this has been happening, a broad ridge of high pressure has set up over the Northeastern United States and held on tight. This brings warmer and drier conditions than normal. This is not uncommon for weak ‘La Nina’ autumns and even winters, and most likely this trend will continue through at least November. Atmospheric G2 (a forecast and historic data source) indicates some increased chances of precipitation the week of Nov. 18 through 25 for our area. The double-edged sword is this high pressure has also protected us from any tropical systems during the last part of this hurricane season,” Arnold said Friday.

Connolly said he didn’t see the amount of rain that fell Sunday night and Monday morning as enough to lessen the current danger. According to the National Weather Service, rain is expected for Thursday, with showers likely on Friday, followed by a 40% chance of showers Friday night and a 30% chance Saturday.

Ashley Saari, David Allen and Jesseca Timmons contributed