Brush fire season off to early start; county fire forester talks cause, safety
KAYLEE LINDENMUTH / SHENANDOAH SENTINEL FILE - A DCNR Forestry fire truck at the scene of a brush fire in Helfenstein on April 5, 2021.
BARNESVILLE – Brush fire season in eastern Pennsylvania is off to an early start this year, and Schuylkill County has had at least 20 such incidents so far this year.
Jake Novitsky, Department of Conservation and Natural Resources (DCNR) fire forester for Schuylkill and Carbon County, said fire season in this region typically begins in March and runs through the spring, until the leaves come in and shade the forest floor.
He said dryer, warmer weather and little snowfall contributed to the early start.
“Snowpack really helps us out,” Novitsky said. He said the snowpack helps compact leaves and other combustible materials, keeping them from drying out rapidly. The Shenandoah area has seen under six inches of snowfall this year.
He said, while rainfall like the region had earlier this week helps, the combustible materials can dry out within an hour or two in the right conditions.
“Like today, we had a little bit of rain last night, but you have this high wind, no cloud cover, a lot of direct sunlight on the forest floor, within an hour or two, three hours tops, the fuels are ready to burn,” Novitsky said. “A lot of my busier days are in the spring — March, April, May — when you have a half-decent rain late at night, and then people think it’s okay to burn.”
He said many brush fires are caused by people burning debris, refuse, leaves, etc., on dry days.
“People are cooped up in the winter and they want to get out there and clean up their leaves from over the winter and the fall, and clean up some brush fires and stuff like that and light it on fire,” Novitsky said. “The best days to do that is when it’s raining. When it’s overcast, when it’s drizzling a little bit.”
“A lot of people, for some reason, people like burning on [dry] days like this,” Novitsky added.
Regarding safety when burning refuse and piles of leaves and brush, he said residents should first check to see if their municipality allows that. Shenandoah and West Mahanoy Township both have burn ban ordinances.
If permitted, he said to use a burn barrel or a firepit with a 10-to-15 foot buffer around it. He also suggests using a metal grate to contain embers.
“Pay attention to it,” Novitsky added. “Don’t leave it unattended.”
To protect your home or shed from a brush fire should one start and spread towards your home, he suggested keeping leaves and brush away from the building, and keep crawlspaces and such clear of debris.
Novitsky also suggested keeping cut and split wood away from the structure in case of a fire.
He also suggested keeping rain gutters clear of brush and debris too, in case of flying embers.
“You lose more houses from embers cast than with an actual fire front coming and hitting the house,” Novitsky said.
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