Fayette County fire department fighting brush fires nonstop for days
Temperatures outside are making it feel like spring but authorities across the region say the dry conditions and wind is a recipe for disaster when it comes to brush fires.
"Open flames are our worst enemy right now," said Adah Volunteer Fire Department Chief LC Otto.
Otto said his department has been on brush fire calls nonstop since Friday.
"We responded to one in North Union and assisted them and it was around 30 to 40 acres. Very, very rough terrain. It was a very, very, very complex fire," Otto said.
He said his department has a side-by-side that they used to get deep into the woods to fight fires.
"We carry EMS supplies, not only various hoses and appliances, chain saws for fires, stuff like that," Otto said. "It's a fire truck for the woods."
The National Weather Service said dry conditions are to blame for the recent increase in brush fires.
"Nothing's green, so there's a lot of dead fuels out there. So when you have the combination of low relative humidity, wind gusts, you know, that can blow brush fires, and then warm temperatures, those are the ingredients you get for potential brush fires development across the region," said Fred McMullen with the National Weather Service in Pittsburgh.
Several municipalities and local fire departments across the region have issued burn bans or stress not to burn until conditions improve.
"Do something different than sit around a campfire. Don't burn your garbage," Otto said.
Otto told KDKA that the uptick in calls is taking a toll not only on his volunteers but also their equipment.
"Just our department alone has probably suffered $2,000 in repairs just from these 16, these weekends of calls, from blowing out tires to mud flaps to our pump cracks," Otto said.
McMullen said if you have to burn, wait until the evening hours when the wind calms down and the humidity increases.
"Just remember that if you do something like that, again, you want to have a prevention plan in place. You want to have a hose nearby, fire extinguisher and make sure that you do it safely," McMullen said.
Before you burn, Otto said check with your local municipality to see if there is a burn ban in place. He urges them to consider waiting to burn until conditions improve.
"We're still going to be there. If the pager goes off and the fire whistle blows, but it's definitely a rough interesting few days, that's for sure," Otto said.
