How To Prevent Brush Fires Near Your Home

Brush fires can happen near your home, particularly here in Jefferson Township, which has so much wooded area.

According to township fire marshall Vinny Corsaro, there were two recent brush fires in Milton that started when piles of mulch spontaneously combusted.

“It’s a chemical reaction,” said Corsaro. “When mulch chips decompose they create heat, which can start to burn when the pile sits for a while in dry conditions. It’s important for people to know they should spread mulch as soon as possible.”

Other brush fires have started when power lines fell down due to high winds. Still others have started when residents did not properly discard fireplace ashes.

“People discard their ashes in the woods after burning a fire in the evening,” said John Tonking, section forest fire warden for the New Jersey Forest Fire Service. “Ashes can stay hot for several days. You should store them in a metal container and hose them down.”

The Forest Fire Service is taking several precautions. Right now Morris County is under high fire danger, which means: “Fires will start from a lighted match and spread rapidly in dry grass, slower with moisture. Will continue to spread until extinguished.”

In addition, stage 1 camp fire restrictions are in effect, as follows: “Fires directly on the ground will be prohibited unless in a prepared fire ring. Fires on mineral soil which will not endanger the forest, such as in a gravel pit, may be permitted at the discretion of the Forest Fire warden issuing the permit. A prepared fire ring must be constructed of steel, stone, brick, or concrete with a gravel or masonry base.”

Stage 2 would prohibit any fires unless they were built in an elevated fireplace, and stage 3 would prevent all charcoal fires. Only propane, electricity or natural gas would be allowed.

Tonking explained that the lack of snow over the winter has left the leaves on the forest floor fluffier, rather than packed down. Couple that with the lack of new leaves on the trees and high winds, and fires are even more of a hazard than usual.

“Once we ‘green up’, the forest will retain moisture because of shade from the leaves, so the danger level goes down,” Tonking said. “But right now, we are in prime spring fire season and the lack of rain and low humidity makes the situation worse.”

Valerie Meola, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service, noted that temperatures are predicted to be higher than normal over the next three months, but the precipitation outlook is normal.

Given that outlook, and the amount of wooded areas in Jefferson Township, officials are asking that people be careful.

“Jefferson is home to the largest park in Morris County at Mahlon Dickerson, plus many other wooded areas,” said Corsaro. “So far people have been very good about being careful. We’d like to ask that they continue, as there appears to be no soaking rain for at least the next week in the weather forecast.”

Corsaro noted that while structure fires are always extinguished as soon as possible, sometimes brush fires are not.

“We don’t always put brush fires out,” he said. “Sometimes we fight fire with fire. If there’s no threat to people or property, we let it burn itself out.”

Corsaro and Tonking made the following recommendations to lower the risk of brush fires near the home.

• Create a 50-foot buffer around your home so that if anything does go on fire, it’s not as close to your house.
• Be sure charcoal brickettes are fully put out when you are finished barbecuing.
• Keep gutters clean.
• Store firewood away from your home. Treat it as a fire hazard.
• Remove dead tree limbs from around your home.
• Make sure your house number is prominently displayed on your house so that first responders can find you.
• Keep your driveway accessible to first responders.

 For more tips, visit http://www.firewise.org/Communities.aspx

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