By Cara Beth Lewis
The Elizabethtown Fire Department assisted Dublin Fire Department alongside several other county departments, NC Forestry, and aircrafts with extinguishing a large woods fire that grew to over 25 acres yesterday, according to EFD. The fire occurred in the Hickory Grove/Ballpark Road area in Bladenboro.
On social media, Elizabethtown Fire Department warned, “Any outside fire currently has the potential to quickly get out of hand due to our weather conditions. It’s dry and winds have continued to be elevated on a daily basis.”
Many residents in the area were fearful that the fire would reach their homes. However, this level of damage was thankfully avoided. On social media, several people expressed their gratitude to the departments who worked together to extinguish the fire.
Listed below are safety tips for outside burning:
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Check local burn bans and rules. Oftentimes, burn bans and restrictions are in place in certain areas for various safety reasons. Before you burn, make sure you are in an area where it is allowed.
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Be prepared. Of course, when you burn you don’t do it expecting something to go terribly wrong, but prepare for the worst. Have a plan for if something goes wrong or the fire becomes out of control.
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Check the weather. Do not burn on dry, windy days – these conditions make it very easy for a fire to spread and become uncontrollable.
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Build fires away from overhanging branches and trees, steep slopes, and dry leaves. Keep extra wood away from the fire.
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Always have plenty of water on hand.
NC Forest Service says, “Since people cause most wildfires, we all have a part in preventing them. We can be more careful ourselves, and whoever we are and wherever we are, we can influence others to use more care with fires. Remember, a little extra care takes only a few minutes of your time and it could prevent a wildfire.”
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