Connecticut DEEP Says Fire Risk Is Real
Be careful today and pay attention to the fire warnings please.
Don't let the green grass fool you. While the severe drought conditions in Connecticut have eased off, we are still drier than a popcorn fart in a lot of areas. Add the heat of the past few days, plus the windy conditions, and we are prime for fires.
The Department of Energy and Environmental Protection, DEEP, has issued a High Forest Fire Risk for today, April 11.
By now I would hope we all know the drill about preventing fires, but you know the adage about the word "assume" so here's some tips:
- Never throw cigarettes or matches on the ground
- Clear brush around your house
- Be careful not to back your car up onto leaves or brush, your exhaust pipe is hot enough to catch those leaves on fire
- Light fires with extreme caution. Make sure you wet the ground around your fire pit first, and never throw cardboard, paper, or leaves into the fire.
The National Weather Service says today's forecast in our area calls for:
Sunny, with a high near 80. Southwest wind 5 to 11 mph, with gusts as high as 22 mph.
They have also issued this special weather alert statement for Fairfield and New Haven counties:
...Elevated Risk for Fire Spread Potential later this morning and afternoon... A dry air mass will combine with increasing south to southwest winds to create conditions more conducive for fire spread late this morning and this afternoon. As temperatures warm through the 70s, and into the 80s over portions of the area, relative humidity is expected to decrease to 30 to 40 percent during this time, while wind gusts increase to 15 to 20 mph. These conditions would likely aid fire spread if ignition occurs.
Please, please, use your head. Don't have a hand in destroying land, or risking and ruining lives.
Listen to Pam Brooks weekdays from 10-3PM on 95.1 FM, online at i95rock.com/listen-live/ or by downloading the radioPup app for your mobile device.