DELMARVA - While many have been enjoying the warming weather lately, all three Delaware counties and the majority of Maryland across the Delmarva peninsula is under a fire weather warning, also called a red flag warning, from the National Weather Service from noon to 8 p.m. on Tuesday. A fire could spread quickly because of low humidity and gusty winds Tuesday afternoon.
Our meteorological team says that conditions include humidity as low as 20 to 30 percent and winds with gusts up to 30 mph. Though there is no official burn ban in place in Delaware as of late Tuesday morning, a state fire marshal representative told WRDE that the office always encourages people to limit burning. Conditions are always dry in the spring time, and vegetation that died or dried up over the winter can quickly form a tinderbox type of situation. The light rain in recent days that helped to wash away some of the pollen piles also dampened things, which may help a little.
That being said, the Delaware Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Control issued a statement Tuesday morning to remind the public that Delaware's window for residential open burning is still open, but only lasts until May 1.
"While residential open burning of some yard waste is allowed until the end of April, there are some restrictions on what can be burned, how much can be burned at a time, and at what time of day these materials can be burned," said Matt Ritter, the department's Division of Community Affairs director. "As we approach Earth Day, we also ask Delawareans to consider alternatives to burning for the continuing improvement of our state's air quality."
People can burn materials like tree limbs, brush, and branches, but it is always against the law to burn leaves, grass, trash, garbage, and other refuse like tires, construction waste, paper, plastic, furniture, and fabric. A maximum of 27 cubic feet of yard waste may be burned at one time and fires must be monitored until they are completely extinguished. Materials to be burned should be piled as far as practical from homes and other structures, including the homes of neighbors, and a garden hose or full water buckets should be kept nearby in case of sudden need to reduce the fire.
Recommended alternatives to burning include curbside or drop-off yard waste sites, chipping or shredding limbs and branches to convert them into mulch, and composting.
The annual open burning ban, known as the Ozone Season, begins on May 1 and goes through Sept. 30. It will restrict outdoor burning to allow only cooking fires, recreational campfires, and ceremonial bonfires using firewood.
More information can be found at de.gov/openburning.