| Friday, April 13, 2012 The Chester County Board of Commissioners declared a ban on open burning for all Chester County residents and businesses, effective immediately. The temporary 30-day ban is based on current weather conditions and forecasted conditions, as well as the recent wildfire in French Creek State Park. Gusting winds, combined with dry fields and forests have made conditions extremely unstable for open burning.
Open burning of any combustible material out-of-doors in either a burn barrel (screened or unscreened), fire ring or on the ground is banned. This includes the burning of garbage, leaves, grass, twigs, litter, paper and vegetation from land that has been cleared.
The lack of green foliage in the spring, little rainfall, low humidity and sunny, windy days have increased the chances of forest and brush fires spreading. The William Penn Forestry District 17, which covers Chester County, advises on its website that conditions today are "extreme", meaning fires start quickly, spread furiously and burn intensely.
Recent wildfires driven by gusting winds and fueled by tinder-dry fields and forests have kept volunteers and Bureau of Forestry firefighters busy across much of the state. Most serious was a blaze that threatened homes, forced evacuations and left 400 to 500 acres scorched in the French Creek State Park area of Berks County.
In the past week, bureau personnel have responded to more than 140 fires that burned 1,201 acres, statewide. Three fires, including the Berks County blaze and others in Luzerne and Cameron counties, each burned more than 100 acres. |
