As temperatures rise, so do the risks of starting a brush fire, prompting Butler County fire departments to caution people to think before they burn yard waste this spring.

Justin O’Hara, chief of West Sunbury Volunteer Fire Department, said the highest risk for brush fires is from March through May, but recalls his crew was out fighting fires as early as February this year when the conditions created a perfect storm.

“We had a stint of really nice weather. Everyone wants to get their yard cleaned up as quickly as possible,” he said.

“That was definitely a first,” Ryan Hanchosky, chief of Slippery Rock Volunteer Fire Department, said of the February fires.

The combination of high wind, flame and dry grass can mean burning a small pile of yard waste can quickly grow into a large blaze, Hanchosky said.

“A lot of it falls on the wind conditions, that’s when you’re going to see an increase in fires,” he said. “If there’s 10 mph wind outside, it’s probably not the best idea (to burn).”

The stress, danger, and damage brush fires cause, however, can be avoided, according to Lou Zimmerman, chief of Connoquenessing Volunteer Fire Company, when precautions are taken — or by watching the weather.

“I would just make sure folks are cautious when they’re (burning). I would say if they’re not sure, pay attention to National Weather Service reports,” he said.

Butler County fire chiefs offer fire safety tips to avoid brush fires

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– Watch the weather, including wind conditions

– Keep a water source nearby

– Start fire over a gravel or green grass patch rather than over a dry patch of grass

He explained the National Weather Service of Pittsburgh will share when it is unsafe to burn yard waste, and his department has those alerts posted to its website. Those same alerts can be seen at weather.gov.

On windy days, it is better to bag yard waste and have it carted away, Zimmerman suggested, but if someone must burn it, he asks people to watch for certain weather conditions.

“If you’re going to burn it, you want to do it on a day when the winds are calmer,” Zimmerman said.

O’Hara said in the wind, embers can be carried away, even igniting patches of dry grass not directly beside the fire.

“Pay attention to the wind direction and how fast it is,” O’Hara said. Don’t start your fire upwind from a dry, wooded area. It’s going to catch on fire.”

The difference between a small yard fire and a large brush fire depends on a few safety measures, O’Hara said. One of the most important considerations is location of the burn pile.

“Pay attention to where you’re burning, to what’s around you,” he said.

O’Hara suggested burning far away from tree lines or structures and placing the pile on a patch of gravel or green grass. Burning far away from brown, dry grass is important, he said.

Measures such as these can help keep the fire in one place, Zimmerman said.

“If you’re going to burn yard waste, do it in a space that’s set up to keep it contained, or light smaller areas,” he said.

O’Hara said it’s also dangerous to leave a fire unattended, and suggested having a water source nearby to extinguish the flames should it get out of hand. He suggested a garden hose or a full 5-gallon container.

“Have the ability to stop the fire if necessary, or at least slow it down,” he said.

When firefighters do respond to an out-of-control brush fire, there are tools to combat the challenge of extinguishing it in places that are hard to access. O’Hara said several departments throughout the county use ATVs to cart 50 to 100 gallons of water each to fight fires.

“When I started 15 years ago in the fire service, we didn’t have all that, we had our two legs and a backpack of water on it,” he said.

That backpack only contains two and a half gallons of water, he said. They are still used today to aid the fighting of brush fires.

If a brush fire spreads to nearby trees, Hanchosky said a host of problems can arise.

“The fire can start traveling really fast if it starts getting into a heavily wooded area. That does get a little challenging,” he said.

At that point, Hanchosky said his crew has to beware of other dangers.

“We want to make sure things aren’t falling on people’s heads,” he said. “If the wind would change, it could push the fire on people.”

Zimmerman said he often finds that fighting brush fires can be a lengthy and exhausting process for his firefighters.

“The real challenge would be heat and fatigue,” he said. “We’re hiking through the woods, there’s not a lot of access.”