Fire season underway in Mid-Missouri as drought creeps in
Spring is blowing in, bringing rising temperatures and gusty winds, but rainfall has been lower than normal as Missouri heads into fire season.
Over 48% of the state is drier than average, according to the latest drought monitor, and this lack of moisture is a key part of this fire danger.
Gale Blomenkamp, the Assistant Fire Chief for the Boone County Fire Protection District, says February through April is the typical fire season for Mid-Missouri due to low moisture and dry vegetation.
People are the main cause of out-of-control fires, and these fire weather conditions also tend to occur at the same time that many people may head out for recreation.
"We would anticipate more even over the weekend." Gale says, "When we get nice weather like this, people want to go burn. They want to go burn off their farm ground. They want to go burn off their grasses. But we have erratic winds this time of year. And so that's what makes this very difficult."
For the safest burning, the evening and morning will be cooler and more humid, but you should always have water or an extinguishing source nearby. Always remember the fires you start are your responsibility.
"If you're burning and you sit and you catch someone else's property on fire, you are responsible for that damage," Gale says, "And obviously, if the fire grows bigger than what you anticipate or you feel comfortable with, call 9-1-1 immediately."
