Safety tips: reducing fire danger
Fireworks will be lighting up the night sky in less than two weeks. Even though moisture has graced Howard County for the first part of this year, the high temperatures are draining the moisture from the ground, which means potential for increased fire danger.
“We have been blessed with good rainfall this year, but now the temperatures are rising and the moisture is starting to dry up,” Fire Chief Mitchell Hooper said. “If we continue to get rain it will help, but with the temperatures as high as they are lately, it's drying it up as fast as we are getting it.”
As of a few weeks ago, Big Spring has received about 12 inches of rain in the past three months. Last year's rainfall for that same time period was about half of that, sitting right under 6 inches of rain.
“People can start preparing their land for the Fourth of July now by cutting the grass, calling us for controlled burns and just making sure the area around where they plan to pop fireworks is cleared,” Hooper said.
On the Fourth of July, it is a good idea to have some type of extinguishing agent around to put the used fireworks in or in case the embers spark.
“Do not pop fireworks in the roadways. Honestly, if you are able to pop fireworks in a dirt field that is the best option, but that may not be an option and in those instances it is
important to make sure the area around is cleared out.”
He continued, “It's important to account for and watch where the embers from the fireworks fall as well as the stems. Those are hot enough at times to spark a fire if they land on dry brush, grass or trees.”
For those shooting fireworks in the county, it is imprtant to obtain permission from the landowner before setting fireworks off. As a reminder, fireworks are not allowed in city limits.
“During Pops in the Park we will have 4 trucks staged throughout, just in case,” Hooper said. “For the Fourth of July holiday, we will have the stations throughout the county manned with trucks and some of the firefighters will actually have the trucks with them at home, which will allow us to respond to fires faster.”
According to Hooper, south of town is a little drier than the Sand Springs and Coahoma area, but throughout the county residents need to take precautionary measures to limit the chance of a fire breaking out.
For those looking to get their land cleared out, whether for Fourth of July or just to keep fire danger down,
the Howard County VFD can provide support. The Howard County VFD will come out and assess the need for a controlled burn and can schedule one to help clear dead brush and other potential fire hazards, according to Hooper.
“If residents are needing a controlled burn they can give me a call and we can get something set up. We are normally free on the weekends to get these scheduled,” he said. “We do ask that the area where the controlled burn is going to take place be cleared out as much as possible and that some time of water source is present.”
While the Fourth of July is the biggest fire danger opportunity coming
up, Hooper wants to remind the community the danger is always present when it comes to burning trash, as well. Howard County is not currently under a burn ban since the rainfall recently has provided enough moisture in the area, but precautions should be taken regardless.
“When burning trash it is a good idea to have some kind of grate over the barrel you are burning in,” he said. “If the wind is blowing over 10 mph it's a good idea not to burn.”