Adams Township supervisors extended a temporary burning ban this week, and the community’s fire chief is recommending it be extended indefinitely.

As long as weather conditions remain as they have been, it’s hard to argue with that.

At a Monday meeting, the supervisors extended the temporary ban that several municipalities have had in place for weeks. The decision was made after Tim Llewellyn, Adams Area Fire District chief, told the supervisors about the severity of this season’s dry weather, and why communities should adhere to a burn ban.

Llewellyn discussed a recent yard waste burn that got out of hand in a housing development in June. The incident, which took place on a weekend, could have been much worse had it occurred during the workweek, and Llewellyn said multiple houses in the vicinity could have been imperiled.

Another recent burning in Cranberry Township required several fire companies to quell it. The culprit, according to Llewellyn: “One individual wanted to burn some grass.”

If the municipality in which you live has issued a burning ban, abide by it. And if you’re allowed to burn in your community, do it carefully.

This summer has been especially perilous due to low rainfall and consistently hot weather. It rained last week, but not nearly enough to make up for the long spells of dry weather. If you’ve stepped on the grass recently, you might have heard it crunch. In this type of weather, a fire can quickly get out of control if it comes into contact with dry grass.

Llewellyn told the Adams supervisors the fire district recommended to continue the burning ban for municipalities under its jurisdiction for the future. This is a good idea.

Meanwhile, residents can do their part to ensure safety for their community. Aside from not attempting controlled burns, residents should smoke away from grassy areas; avoid cooking outdoors whenever possible, place their grill on concrete and never leave it unattended; check lawn mowers and other relevant equipment to ensure they have working spark arresters; and avoid driving onto dry grass because hot exhaust pipes and mufflers can spark fires.

And even if you are allowed to burn items by law — and your community hasn’t issued a burning ban — consider how necessary it is to light a fire at the moment, considering the possible dangers involved.

Keeping one’s community safe is an effort required by all who live there.

— NCD