Dry Weather Posing New Fire Threats

Another dry spell has hit the Upper Cumberland and local fire experts said the dry weather could pose a fire threat.

Baxter Fire Chief Matthew White said dry weather this time of year leads to an uptick in fires as vegetation dies and becomes easier for fires to spread. White said dry conditions can turn a simple mishap into a big wildfire.

“We also look at the weather itself with the wind,” White said. “Especially windy days can cause the fire to blow from one point to another, to another point that may be able to contact, so the weather has a huge factor in it.”

Sparta Fire Chief Kirk Young said dry weather combined with hot temperatures increases the risk of heat exhaustion for firefighters. Young said even though the department has prepared to combat heat exhaustion, the exhaustion is still very difficult to prevent.

“Normally we have a cooler of water and we have a station there to have them cool off,” Young said. “Because once you get all that turnout gear on it’s real easy to be overcome by heat.”

Young said departments are having to prepare for these conditions a lot sooner than normal as usually dry months don’t start till the fall season. White said with dry weather conditions it is critical to put out a fire as quickly as possible.

“Well, the dry weather of course we worry about it,” White said. “Of course, the heat as we are into it and the humidity that we have to deal with fighting the fire could also fatigue firefighters very rapidly, so we like to contain those as quickly as possible to keep them from spreading.”

White said during dry weather the city works alongside the fire department to prevent the possibility of a major fire happening.

“Most all the departments locally here have some type of burn regulation for the cities itself,” White said. “So it helps control and limits the size of fires that do occur during this type of weather. We prepare by making sure that several of these lands are cut and trimmed back to where if they did catch on fire they would be easily controlled.”

Young said during dry conditions Sparta will not give out burn permits within city limits.