By Charlotte A. Graham, countyreporter@laurelleadercall.com
June 28, 2009 11:45 am
—
Jones County Fire Coordinator Dan McKenna says there is no ban on outdoor burning for area residents, but advises everyone to use extreme caution.
“We’ve not had rain in several weeks and added with the high temperatures, that poses a problem,” McKenna said. “The longer this goes on, the more dangerous it becomes.
“The higher the temperature and the lower the humidity, the faster everything is going to burn,” added McKenna. “While we don’t have a ban in effect at this point, we are carefully monitoring the situation.”
If conditions worsen, the issuance of a burn ban will be addressed with the Jones County Fire Council, Jones County Board of Supervisors and the Mississippi Forestry Commission. The Forestry Commission reports that there are currently bans in Forrest, Lamar and Marion counties.
Also, according to the Forestry Commission, June’s hot, dry weather conditions have increased the potential for wildfire occurrences, especially in the southern part of the state. As of June 23, the Forestry Commission has suppressed 116 wildfires statewide, with 82 percent of those occurring south of Highway 84.
“Not only are we seeing an increase in fire activity, the fire behavior is more intense,” said Mark Hamilton, Southeast District Forester with the Forestry Commission. “The fires are consuming green vegetation and burning deep into the duff layer. This is not normal fire behavior for the month of June.”
Since forecasters are predicting a continuance of the dry, hot weather for the next 7 to 10 days, with the possibility of occasional afternoon thunderstorm, McKenna said to consider the dry conditions when using fireworks.
“For Americans, Fourth of July celebrations usually signify summer fun, vacations, and the gathering of family and friends, but Independence Day can also bring tragedy,” said McKenna. “In a typical year, more U.S. fires are reported on July 4 than on any other day and fireworks account for half of those fires.”
McKenna stated that the tip of a sparkler burns at a temperature of more than 1,200 degrees, making it hot enough to cause third degree burns; over 90 percent of fireworks injuries treated in hospital emergency rooms involve fireworks that federal regulations permit consumers to use; sparklers, firecrackers, and rockets are the leading contributors to fireworks injuries; and that because most fireworks injuries are preventable, everyone can enjoy a safe and happy holiday by following a few fireworks safety tips.
“Use all safety precautions,” advised McKenna. “Always have a garden hose handy to extinguish the fire if things get out of hand. It’s also good to have a phone handy to call 911 if emergency assistance is needed.”
The Forestry Commission said people should use precaution when using outdoor grills, too. The commission suggests being especially careful when disposing coals used in outdoor grills. If the coals are properly exposed and extinguished, they could cause a fire.
Be prepared! In case a wildfire threatens your home and property the commission suggest that you keep a water hose ready for use, keep leaves and debris at least 30 feet away from your home and other structures, store firewood away from your home, keep your roof clear of leaves and pine straw and post fire emergency numbers on or near your phone.
“It’s hot and dry out there and people have to be wise,” said McKenna. “They can look at the amount of water they have to put to their gardens and see how bad things are. We pray that we get some rain soon.”
Copyright © 1999-2008 cnhi, inc.