DELMARVA - The mixture of rising temperatures, dryness, and breezy conditions is putting both Delaware and Maryland at an increased risk for spreading fires.
In Delaware, the state will be under a burn ban from May 1 through Sept. 30. With these conditions, the Worcester County Fire Marshall's office has also announced a countywide burn ban until further notice.
Firefighters say that with the ground being this dry fires are able to start and spread much faster than they normally might.
Tom Glenn, Safety Officer at the Dagsboro Volunteer Fire Company, says it's not just a matter of looking out for your own property, as with windy conditions like these, they can blow embers into other people's yards.
"These dry times, if a little spark or something gets in that mulch, we have seen it, I think all the companies have seen it, where it can go right up that house," Glenn says. "What you have right now is green popping up because it's Spring, but you have all the dead grass and leaves, and limbs underneath, which will still burn."
Delaware's open burn ban restricts most outdoor burning. However, the agency says outdoor cooking fires, recreational campfires, and ceremonial bonfires are still allowed, provided that either firewood, charcoal, propane, or natural gas is used.
Glenn also emphasized the importance of in-home safety, citing cooking as an area of concern and a frequent cause for call response.
Patrick Carey with Carey Apiary and Farm has thousands of bees on his property, along with an orchard. Carey says he often uses prescribed burning and smokers to keep invasive plant species away and be able to better work with the bees.
Carey says he has refrained from burning under the new burn ban, but says conditions like these make life as a farmer even more stressful.
"This is a big investment, this is a business. If this field caught on fire, I would be in a serious situation," Carey says. "You just never know in farming who your neighbor is. So if you decide to have a bonfire and you're having a good time, a barbeque, and a spark gets away from you, you could very easily accidentally take away someone's livelihood."
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