2 townships in Westmoreland County issue burn bans
DERRY TOWNSHIP, Pa. (KDKA) — Despite the rain the last two days in Westmoreland County, Unity and Derry townships issued burn bans earlier this week.
The bans are in effect until further notice.
"We implemented a burn ban because of the lack of rainfall in the last two months," said Derry Township Supervisor Jim Prohaska. "All the vegetation is totally dry and very combustible."
The ban means no recreational fires and no open burning of any kind. And if someone is caught burning while these bans are in place, they will be fined.
Brushfire season typically starts around September in Western Pennsylvania, but this year that season has come early as fire companies for both Derry and Unity have responded to several grass and brushfires.
Derry Township Fire Chief Mark Piantine gave KDKA-TV a demonstration outside of the fire station on Wednesday on just how quickly dead grass can ignite.
He says even the smallest thing can start a brushfire, from a lawn mower sparking on a stone to a cigarette tossed from a car.
"You could burn in two to three hours. There could be one little spark that goes out and it just smolders until it gets into the grass, and it just keeps getting bigger and bigger and bigger," said Piantine. "We have the Chesnutt Ridge. It runs from Sleepy Hollow all the way to Blairsville and it's very dry. There are big open fields up there with buffalo grass. And if that ever gets going, we are going to be in trouble."
Officials in Derry and Unity townships can't stress enough that now is not the time to burn things. They added that if you live in one of these communities and do see someone burning, call and report it.