Weather has been unusual, to say the least, in the Poconos, creating a perfect storm of wind and droughts in Monroe County, PA. On April 16th 2022 WBRE reported firefighters rushing to the scene in the Jackson Township 200 Block of 5 Springs road to extinguish the flames that raged and started encroaching towards residential neighborhood homes. On April 15th, 2022, over five brush fires were reported in Monroe County Alone! North of Walnut Port in Carbon County has also faced similar plagues.
Protecting Pennsylvania’s 17 million acres of public/private wildlands is the responsibility of the DCNR’s Bureau of Forestry. They achieve this goal by introducing the following measures:
– Mitigation
– Prevention
– Preparedness
– Suppression
– Investigation
Forest fire wardens and volunteer firefighters help promote the latest advances in suppressing/preventing these fires. Pennsylvania wildland firefighters are so well vetted that they even help out with fires outside their jurisdiction when necessary. Needless to say, we have one of the best communities surrounding fire prevention and mitigation.
Surprisingly the most dangerous months of the year for wildfires in the keystone state are Spring (which we are currently experiencing at the time of this article) and Autumn.
Conditions that are required for a wildfire are as follows:
– An available fuel source, such as dried grass or leaves
– Dry conditions, including low relative humidity
– An ignition source — some way for the fire to start
As the weather warms in the spring months, it heats the forest floor. The dry conditions and strong gusts create a perfect opportunity for a brushfire. Higher risks are also associated with Autumn, as the fallen leaves make great kindling to supplement the howling winds.
The threat of wildfires is escalating. Climate change is the most likely responsible for these more frequent incidents. There is hope with the prevention, mitigation, and education. Do your part and help by educating others and being compliant with your local burning bans and restrictions.
For more information provided by (the Pennsylvania Department of Conservative Resources)regarding areas either currently on fire/at-risk please click the following links-
Current Observable Fires in Pa
Future Forecast of Fires in Pa
Imaged Credit/Provided by: https://pixabay.com/photos/the-ugly-swamp-nature-reserve-433688/
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