Vermont Business Magazine After a warm, dry week and weekend and several reports of large wildfires in Vermont, the Vermont Department of Forests, Parks, and Recreation (FPR) has issued an order for all of the state's forest fire wardens to cease issuing burning permits from 3 pm on October 28, 2024, through 3 pm on November 11, 2024. The order will be in effect for two weeks and can be revoked earlier if conditions warrant.
Over the last week, the wildfire danger has fluctuated between high, very high, and extreme throughout the state. With the continued dry weather outlook and the abundance of dry leaves and dry fuels in Vermont’s forests, wildfires have the potential to spread rapidly. Recent relative humidity levels as low as 16% in the past week and winds gusting over 30 MPH have also influenced wildfire spread. Furthermore, there is no significant rainfall in the forecast and therefore fire danger is expected to remain at these elevated levels for the foreseeable future.
"We have received notification from many Town Forest Fire Wardens that they have stopped issuing burn permits in their towns," said Danielle Fitzko, Commissioner of the Department of Forests, Parks and Recreation. “This statewide order supports their efforts. We are also concerned with fire department personnel becoming strained and fatigued as they share responsibility for wildland fire response.”
The current fire situation is not limited to Vermont. “Other New England states currently have elevated fire danger and are experiencing large wildfires that have required assistance from neighboring states,” said Dan Dillner, Vermont Forest Fire Supervisor. “It is critical that we reduce the potential for further human caused fires by putting this temporary ban on burn permits in place.”
Fires over the weekend have destroyed two camps in Barnard, VT. Some of these fires were caused by improper disposal of wood stove ash and debris burning.
On Sunday, Oct. 27, the Barnard Fire Department was dispatched to a reported forest fire on Morgan Hill Road in Barnard. When fire crews arrived, they discovered a large forest fire, along with two camps that had been destroyed by the fire. Mutual aid was requested from the surrounding communities.
As part of the Barnard Fire Chief’s assessment of the scene he contacted the Department of Public Safety Fire and Explosion Investigation Unit and requested assistance in determining the origin and cause of the fire event.
Members of the Department of Public Safety Fire and Explosion Investigation Unit responded to the fire scene and conducted a scene examination and spoke with witnesses. The origin of the fire was determined to be on the exterior of the building. The cause is believed to be related to the improper disposal of ashes from a wood stove. The fire spread to the surrounding woods and is currently being fought by the Barnard Fire Department along with mutual aid from the surrounding communities.
Richard Keating, the camp owner, suffered non-life-threatening injuries associated with this fire. The camp and its contents were destroyed. One other camp also was destroyed by the fire.
The public should be aware that fire suppression efforts will be ongoing, and smoke may be visible for several days. Dry and windy conditions have added to the difficulty in fire suppression efforts.
Anyone with information about this fire or who may have been in the area of the fire during the early morning hours of October 27, 2024, is asked to contact the State Police at 802-878-7111.
People with information may also contact the Vermont Arson Tip Award Program at 800-32-ARSON. The Arson Tip Award Program is a separate entity from the Department of Public Safety, and through funding from insurance companies offers a reward of up to $5,000 for information that leads to an arrest in this case.
For the current fire danger forecast, visit https://fpr.vermont.gov/forest/wildland-fire/monitoring-fire-danger. For more information on fire safety and prevention, visit https://fpr.vermont.gov/prevent-forest-fires.
Source: 10.28.2024. Vermont Agency of Natural Resources, Montpelier https://anr.vermont.gov. Vermont State Police.
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