HENRICO COUNTY, Va. (WRIC) — A mixture of gusty winds and low humidity has Central Virginia facing an increased risk of fire danger this week.
Two critical weather elements that create an ideal environment for fires are low relative humidity and strong surface wind, and both are active this week.
Henrico County Fire Department’s Battalion Chief Doug Reynolds says that it’s easier during the early spring months to start a fire. Brush fires are common this time of year and can be started by something as simple as cigarette butt being thrown out of the window.
“When you get to this time of the year when we have higher winds, lower humidity — there certainly increased danger, where things catch on fire very easily,” Reynolds said. “And things that you would have thought were benign, if you had a burn barrel or discarding leaves, if you get rid of a cigarette — those things in the right condition can easily spread and the fires really take off on us.”
Henrico, along with the rest of Virginia, is currently under a 4 p.m. Burning Law. The burn ban started on Feb. 15 and will last until April 30th. Under the law, open-air burning is prohibited before 4 p.m. within 300 feet of the woods or dry grass. Burning is still allowed after 4 p.m. with proper precautions.
