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Abnormally Warm, Dry Weather For This Time Of Year Causing Concern Over Fire Danger

November 29, 2021 Steve Schwaller

(Spirit Lake)– While the abnormally mild, dry weather is making it enjoyable to be outdoors in late November and soon to be early December, it’s also causing concern over the potential for grass fires. Spirit Lake Fire Chief Pat Daly says once you combine that with low relative humidity and plenty of dead, dry vegetation, it could set the scene for a tragedy…

“When it starts getting dry like it is now, usually the wind will come up and then that will take that fire forever, so we need to be really careful with whatever we’re doing.”

Daly says it’s a good idea to not do any open burning right now, but he does offer some suggestions for those who feel they must do so…

“First thing to do is to check the weather forecast and see what the thing is for the wind. That’s the big thing. And then if it’s going to be a big fire they need to contact the Comm Center and let them know so we kind of got a little head start on it.”

Daly adds it’s also a good idea to have some water nearby and manpower on standby just in case.

There have been increasing reports of grass fires in the region in recent days. The Everly and Fostoria Fire Departments battled a ditch fire late this (Monday) morning near the intersection of U.S. Highway 18 and Clay County Road M-27 near Everly.

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