ST. ALBANS, W.Va. (WSAZ) - It’s still early on in wildfire season and several brushfires have already been reported across our region that have gotten out of hand.
The St. Albans fire marshal, Chris Collins, said it doesn’t take much for these fires to start and it won’t take long for them to spread out of control.
Brush fires get their energy from dry leaves and twigs but can burn down cars and entire houses.
“All it takes is one spark and because fire travels up it will burn all of these leaves all the way up,” said Collins.
Collins wants to remind people brush fire season runs from March 1st to May 31st.
It’s now time to pay extra attention to yard debris, because it’s at it’s driest. Those items are more prone to lighting up after a single spark from a cigarette or an ember from a bonfire or fire pit.
“Even though we have a little bit of rain or measurable rainfall all it takes it a couple days to dry that right back out,” said Collins.
The dry crunchy leaves ignite fast. Collins says most brush fires are human caused.
Last week he spotted a man intentionally lighting a fire within city limits which could’ve sent the whole hillside up in smoke.
“Careless examples like that are why we have these wildfires,” said Collins.
If caught starting a brush fire, he said the severity of charges range, regardless if it’s intentional or accidental.
“You are responsible for any kind of damages that the fire causes and you are also responsible for the cost putting the fire out,” said Collins.
St. Albans is using this as an opportunity to be proactive and why Collins issued a temporary fire ban which has since been lifted. Since the rain brought some relief, burning hours remain from 5 p.m. to 9 p.m.
“One of the best things you can do to prevent your property from being damaged is to simply clean out the leaves, the twigs, the yard waste,” said Collins.
Thanks to weeks of intense weather leaving behind dozens of downed trees and other debris, Collins still wants residents to understand the importance of being responsible for the community that you live in and the safety of those around you.
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March 15, 2021 at 10:16AM
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St. Albans firefighters warn about dry conditions during current fire season - WSAZ-TV
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