The National Weather Service has issued a Red Flag Warning for all of Southern New England which started at 8:00 AM and will continue until 8:00 PM this evening. A moderate southwest wind gusting to 30 MPH at times today combined with low relative humidity and mostly sunny skies is expected to result in very high fire danger today. The leaves have now come out on most trees, however, no rainfall during the past week has resulted in very dry soils and surface fuels such as high grass, leaves and twigs.
Any grass or brush fires that start today may spread rapidly. Outdoor burning is not recommended. The most common causes of fire ignition are campfires left unattended, the burning of debris, equipment use and malfunctions, negligently discarded cigarettes, and intentional acts of arson.
Message From DEEP Forestry: If you have received a permit from your local Open Burning Official to burn brush on your property, the permit is not valid if the Forest Fire Danger is rated high, very high or extreme and you are burning within 100 feet of a grassland or woodland.
Towns are advised to monitor rural areas today for sudden grass or brush fires. There may be additional Red Flag Warnings issued tomorrow as we don’t expect any precipitation for the next 4 days. Towns are advised to watch rural areas until we receive significant precipitation. The next chance for light rainfall is currently this Saturday.
NOTICE: The Winchester Open Burning Officials have issued a town wide burning ban until further notice. The ban includes all opening burning permits, campfires, and fire pits. Violators may subject to criminal charges that carry a fine of $200.00 and or imprisonment for up to 6 months.
