Brush Fire Safety

Details: Created on Friday, 08 May 2015 15:17; Written by Ron Kauffman

VERMONT- With spring finally being sprung and the temperatures rising, the dangers of a brush fire are increased. The added wind and seasonal drying out of trees and grass makes up for a recipe for disaster.

The spring time is the perfect time for a brush fire to start, as all the vegetation is drying out, the cold weather is preventing the green up of it all. The addition of dead leaves and dry grass causes fire risks to be increased around this time of the year.

St. Johnsbury Fire Chief Troy Ruggles said, "Its hasn't greened up quite nicely yet so theres still a lot of dry fuels so if a fire does ignite, its gunna go quickly."

According to the National Fire Protection Association there 334,200 brush fires, with 37% of those being grass fires.

In Vermont to have an open fire you need to have a permit first. Permit or not, you still need to use extreme caution when having a fire.

During this time of the year the NFPA suggests you:
   -Clear all leaves from decks, roofs, and gutters
   -Remove dead vegetation within 10 feet from your home
   -Remove flammable materials like wood piles and propane within 30 feet from your home
   -Keep your lawn hydrated

For more information and tips on fire prevention go to http://www.nfpa.org/