City-wide burn ban in Somerset continues, will the rain help?

SOMERSET, Ky. (WKYT) - Despite the wet start to summer, some areas in central and eastern Kentucky have had conditions dry enough to warrant a burn ban.

The Somerset Fire Department has had a city-wide burn ban in place for 2-3 weeks.

Dry Stretch in Somerset

Chief Bengie Howard says it’s been dry in the area for 6-8 weeks.

“Having our burn policy or burn ban in the city allows us to be able to have the flexibility. Depending on the conditions, we’ll just throw in a burn ban if we have to at any point in time,” said Howard. “We don’t go by county or anything like any kind of county bans.”

Residents Adapt to Burn Ban

According to Howard, the public reaction to the burn ban has been positive, as many are understanding of the importance.

“They understand the dangers. They understand that if left unchecked, things could get really, really bad,” said Howard. “A lot of times they’ll ask us to come out and, you know, hey, can we come out, can you come out and take a look at things to see if we can go ahead and burn them? We’ll say, well, because of the weather conditions today- the wind or it being extremely dry- we’re not going to allow anybody to burn.”

How Much Rain is Needed?

Rain is in the forecast for Thursday and Friday, including in Pulaski County, but that is not the only factor that can help mitigate the fire weather risk.

“We do things on a case-by-case basis,” said Howard. “If we get the humidity level high or if we get a good, probably maybe half an inch or so, it should make things a lot better for us. I don’t think we’ll have any trouble if we get at least a half inch of rain.”

Low relative humidity, strong winds, and dry soil can all make fires start and spread more easily.

Fire Safety Tips

Even when there is not a burn ban in place, extra caution is always needed. Howard strongly recommends monitoring every fire closely, not leaving any unchecked at any point in time, and being ready to act quickly if needed.

“Have some type of garden hose, or if it’s a larger fire, a bulldozer to be able to put things out, tractor, whatever, to be able to extinguish those types of fires,” said Howard. “The most important part is, too, that if it does get out of hand, don’t try to fight the fire yourself. Go ahead and call your local fire department, 9-1-1. Go and get the fire department en route. Don’t waste any time doing that.”

Other Burn Bans

Several counties have issued burn bans, including Boyle County. The full list of county-wide burn bans known to the Kentucky Division of Forestry can be found here.

The County Judge-Executive can issue a burn ban, and local law enforcement helps make sure it gets followed.