Wildfires That Plagued The East During Last Autumn's Drought Are Back

Large wildfire in eastern Long Island,
New York Saturday. Photo via Facebook
from Long Island Advance

The spate of brush and forest fires that harassed much of the eastern United States during last autumn's drought are back. 

Spring wildfires are more common than autumn. Dry weeds and foliage dry out in the strengthening March sun. The landscape hasn't started greening yet.  

If it gets dry and windy, fires can break out under those conditions,  

We've already had large fires in the Carolinas that started last week. At least one of them near Myrtle Beach is still burning.  At last report it was 55 percent contained and had consumed 2,000 acres after threatening several homes.

A 40-year old woman was arrested for starting that fire. Last Saturday, the woman started a fire in her fire pit near the tree line in back of her home while strong, dry winds blew. She did not have a water supply or other fire fighting tools ready when she lit the fire, authorities said. 

On Saturday, three large wildfires broke out on eastern Long island, New York, forcing the closure of major roads, forcing evacuations and damaging two commercial businesses. Two firefighters were hurt, but their injuries are said to be not that serious. 

Investigators are trying to determine if those fires were accidental or did somebody set them. Two of the fires were contained as of Sunday afternoon, and firefighters were making substantial gains on the third one. 

Several fires broke out in New Jersey in the past week, including one that threatened about 30 buildings in Hopewell Junction. A new wildfire broke out amid dry winds gusting to 40 mph on Saturday near Pennsville Township, New Jersey, just across the Delaware River from Wilmington, Delaware. 

Most of Delaware, Maryland, New Jersey and Pennsylvania remained under fire weather alerts today   as the humidity remained low and gusty winds continued. No real rain is in the forecast for most of the Northeast until next Saturday night or Sunday. 

Last autumn's drought that affected the Northeast never really went away. It is still ongoing in many areas, especially in Maryland, New Jersey, southeast Pennsylvania, southeast New York and southern New England.  Those dry conditions are making the usual early spring fires that much more easy to erupt.

Believe it or not, brush and wildfire season is approaching in Vermont. True, many areas are still deep in snow, and that won't disappear immediately, despite the warm air that's in the forecast in the next several days. 

However, the snow will eventually disappear, and before we green up for spring, the dry brush from last year can easily burst into flames and spread rapidly during the type of dry, windy days we often have in April.