SUSSEX CO, DE - Fire department officials in Sussex County are urging neighbors to stay vigilant as high winds, dry conditions, and low humidity create conditions for a high fire risk in the area.
Steve Breeding is a farmer in Seaford and the President of the Sussex County Farm Bureau. Breeding said that on days with conditions like Thursday's, a brush fire could start in an instant.
"That that's my biggest scare if somebody catches a field on fire or something," Breeding said.
Breeding said their farm experienced a fire last spring, so they're taken extra precautions in these dry conditions.
"With the wind blowing the way it is and as dry as stuff is, it doesn't take much," Breeding said. "A bad bearing in a combine or a tractor could burn something up, and it spreads pretty quick on a day like today."
Down Route 13 in Laurel, fire department officials share similar fears to Breeding's. Laurel's Deputy Fire Chief Mike Lowe said the conditions on Thursday posed a very high risk for fires. The Chief showed WBOC their brush fire equipment, ready to go in case of emergency.
"As we always say, nobody intends to have a fire," Lowe said. "It's just that split second of being careless or being distracted, and something very, very bad can happen. And in these conditions, it just speeds things up."
The chief said that it's crucial for everyone to adhere to the State Fire Marshall's burn ban. He said, with many departments like theirs relying on volunteers, fire prevention is essential.
"The volunteer fire services are stretched very, very thin today due to a lot of factors," Lowe said. "Keeping our numbers down, trying to prevent fires, and prevent responses, is a big part of the picture."
Fire officials ask that neighbors stay vigilant and adhere to the burn bans. They also suggest that farmers take extra precautions with equipment, including parking them away from flammable areas and keeping them clear of extra dust.
