(WKYT) – Fire season starts Thursday here in Kentucky. It’s a time of the year where weather conditions allow for fires to spread easier or get started easier. It’s also a time where folks need to be more careful when it comes to handling fire.
“That is when there is an excess amount of dried material on the ground that is conducive to rapid fire spread and development and does give an opportunity for any fire that starts to get out of control very quickly,” said Joshua Cromer, Scott County Fire Marshall.
During the fall, relative humidity can get very low. Also, the fall months bring back windier times of the year. Both these ingredients can allow a burn to escalate out of control.
“The thing is when we have a grass fire and we have a windy day, even a small breeze like today, we will see that fire spread across many acres of ground cover in a very short amount of time,” said Cromer.
Cromer said they already had to deal with three grass fires in the past week, including one Tuesday night. He said you should always inform your local fire department before you burn.
“It’s going to be smart to let your fire department know if you are burning and that is just so they are aware that there is a fire out there. Also, it can help us understand that if your neighbor calls and they smell smoke, we will know that you’ve got a controlled burn,” Cromer said.
There are a few mistakes people tend to make while outdoor burning.
“The most common mistake we will see is people will start a controlled burn and then they will leave it unattended,” Cromer said.
Other mistakes include not fully putting a fire out and the fire reigniting.
Fall fire season in Kentucky runs through December 15th.