Fire Department 'Expects' Brush Fires as BGE Activates Grid

Anne Arundel County fire officials said they “anticipate and expect” brush fires to occur throughout the region as the week progresses while Baltimore Gas and Electric (BGE) continues to get its power grid up and running.

Lt. Cliff Kooser told Patch that firefighters tended to a small fire near the intersection of Solomons Island Road and Polling House Road near Southern High on Monday morning, but that it was a very minor incident.

Wires fell all over the county, some in heavily wooded areas, Kooser said. As BGE turns on its grid throughout the county, the electricity could spark fires where the wires are grounded or not properly secured.

“[The brush fires] aren’t going to be rare,” Kooser said. “It happens a lot with restoration efforts, with the weather and storms over the years, that stuff happens.”

The fire department lieutenant said residents should assume all wires are “live,” and that they should immediately call BGE.

One of the hazards of these small fires is that firefighters must wait to extinguish the flames until BGE arrives on scene.

When tending a fire that was started by a BGE wire, Kooser said, “We do nothing to it. We protect lives and property, and don’t do anything until BGE arrives. So it’s all a matter of BGE trying to get the power back up and servicing the grid.”

Report outages and downed wires by calling BGE at 800-685-0123.