From the Weather Center: May 2021

From the Weather Center
by John Simon

May 2021

Brush Fires

Brush fires are part of life in many parts of this country. In dry weather, they can start at any time from many different causes.
Sometimes called wild fires, wildland fires, rural fires, desert fires, grass fires, or hill fires, brush fries can start from dry weather, lightning from a thunder storm, or by human activity. Brush fires can cause extensive property damage and even threaten human life.
Locally, near Ellenville in 2018, a brush fire burned 2,400 acres of land, but fortunately no one was killed. This was just one of several serious brush fires in that area in recent years, as thousands of acres have been destroyed.
In an attempt to minimize the potential for brush fires, local officials enact a burn ban each year from mid-March to the middle of May. While this helps prevent many brush fires, there are still quite a few fires that occur in spite of the ban. This year’s ban ends on May 14.