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08/18/2022 05:02 PMIn an effort to prevent forest fires, the Essex Fire Marshal has ordered a ban on nearly all open burnings in town, due to dry weather conditions and extreme fire danger.
“When we see that conditions are at high or are extremely high due to dry conditions and wind, we tend to look at the burning conditions, and I make the decision whether no open burning is allowed based on those conditions that we find,” said Fire Marshal John Planas.
The Office ordered the no-burn notice after receiving a danger level of “extreme” from the Spread Index issued daily by the Forest Fire Danger Report provided by the Forestry Division of the state Department of Energy and Environmental Protection (DEEP). The Index predicts the potential spread of forest fires, taking into account air quality and weather conditions, including wind, relative humidity, and levels of precipitation. The summer season is known as a difficult season for forest fires, given the meteorological and ecological factors associated with summer in Connecticut, according to DEEP information.
According to Planas, the danger level was reduced by the state to a high index level as of Aug. 17, but the ban has remained in place given the little rain the region has recently received.
“What we’re worried about is anybody who has any open burning that those embers can actually cause forest fires. That could also, in turn, create a problem if those forest fires involve structures like businesses, houses, stuff like that,” said Planas. “We’re trying to limit those situations by preventing everybody from having any open burns until further notice.”
Chester Fire Marshal Richard Leghton has also issued a similar ban on burning permits per the same DEEP notification on the "extreme“ danger level posed by outdoor burning. The Deep River Fire Department has not officially declared any formal bans, but have also put a hold on burning permits, according to Fire Marshal Adam Kerop, who said that permits will be issued once the DEEP Index has been reduced and when the arrival of rainfall has assuaged the risk of a spreading fire.
Planas acknowledges the difficulty of maintaining the ban at times, given carefree behavior that can occur during summertime and town residents holding outdoor events where burning may be involved, such as bonfires. However, he stressed the importance of following the order and taking it seriously despite the season and individual behavior
“I was driving through a certain part of town last week and I smelled smoke. I stopped and had found that somebody had a fire going. They were burning stuff from their house, and they weren’t even home,” said Planas. “They had this unattended burn pile that was going. I had to call one of the engines to put it out, and we had to make sure they wouldn’t do that again.”
Along with especially hazardous unattended outdoor burnings, other forms of burning that are prohibited under the ban include construction materials and couches. According to Planas, the only materials that are allowed to be set aflame in an outdoor setting are sticks and small brushes, and a stick pile cannot exceed three feet in diameter and no greater than two feet in height.
In the process of alerting citizens of the no-burn order, Planas said that homeowners who have violated the ban will be issued a second notification of the ban and will be given an explanation on the severity of outdoor burning, given the DEEP level rating of the danger posed. If a second offense is committed, a citation will be issued, which can either be a fine of up to $250 or jail time. The figure set for the former penalty is determined upon the severity of the flame that was set and the number of times an individual has violated the fire code. Jail time will be contingent upon whether a person is a repeat offender, after which their violations will be handled by the state police.
Whilst also looking at the index provided by the Forestry Division, Planas said that once Essex and the rest of the region receives a steady amount of rainfall, the no-burn ban will be lifted.