LEBANON — The Twin States have both instituted burn bans amid an ongoing drought.
New Hampshire’s statewide ban on open burning, which Gov. Kelly Ayotte issued Monday, covers campfires, burning debris and “smoking in or near woodlands and on public trails.”
The ban will remain in effect until wildfire risks lessen, according to an announcement from the state’s Forest Protection Bureau, which is part of the Department of Natural and Cultural Resources’ Division of Forests and Lands.
Also Monday, the Vermont Department of Forests, Parks and Recreation ordered all town fire wardens to stop issuing burn permits due to the drought until further notice.
“Persistent dry conditions coupled with dry falling leaves create a high risk for rapid fire spread,” Vermont’s Forest Fire Supervisor Dan Dillner said a Monday release from the department. “With ground water deficits, fires will burn into the soil, consuming dried organic matter as fuel. These fires require considerable resources to contain and extinguish.”
It will take more than one rain storm to reduce the state’s wildfire risk, Steven Sherman, chief of the N.H. Forest Protection Bureau, said in the Granite State release.
The majority of New Hampshire is in a “severe” or “extreme” drought, while nearly 80% of Vermont faces a “severe drought,” according to the U.S. Drought Monitor.
In August, Grafton County received just 0.89 inches of rain, 3.60 inches below average, according to data from the National Weather Service.
“While rain may wet the area for a day, it will take a lot to make up for the lack of rain this summer and soak deep into the soil,” Sherman said. “If the weather pattern does not change allowing the state to receive significant rain, we may not see the wildfire risk reduced through the fall.”
The release noted that nearly 90% of New Hampshire’s wildfires are caused by humans and the Forest Protection Bureau asked residents to be more aware when getting rid of woodstove ash, as well as of sparks that can fly from lawn equipment and as they dispose of smoking materials, including cigarettes.
“Do not drive off roads or park on top of vegetation, as heat from mufflers and engines can ignite vegetation that touches them,” the bureau stated. It also encouraged people to conserve water.
After the state of New Hampshire issued the burn ban Monday, Lebanon High School postponed its annual fall bonfire, which was scheduled to take place this Friday.
“…We are looking at tentative dates in October to hold the event and we will continue to work with local officials to make sure that when the event does occur, it can be done safely and without incident,” Lebanon High School Principal Ian Smith wrote in an email to parents.