Office of Governor Bob McDonnell

 
 
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
January 31, 2012
 
Office of the Governor
Contact: Jeff Caldwell
Phone: (804) 225-4260
Email: Jeff.Caldwell@Governor.Virginia.Gov
 
Department of Forestry
Contact: John Campbell
Phone: (434) 220-9070
Email: john.campbell@dof.virginia.gov
 
 

Governor McDonnell Announces Start of Virginia Spring Fire Season
~Citizens Should Not Burn Before 4 P.M.~

 
RICHMOND – As Virginia prepares for the beginning of spring fire season which runs from Feb. 15 through April 30, Governor Bob McDonnell is warning Virginians that the threat of wildfires is increased this year due to Virginia’s mild winter.
           
“Wildfires in the Commonwealth are very weather-dependent,” Governor McDonnell said. “When you combine the effects of the 2011 tornadoes and Hurricane Irene with the relatively mild and dry winter we’re experiencing, it adds up to a potentially dangerous spring wildfire season. That’s a life safety issue which could affect thousands of Virginians.”
           
Ninety-five percent of wildfires in the Commonwealth are caused by humans, so citizens need to help the Department of Forestry to reduce the risk of wildfires.
           
“The best thing people can do is to obey the law by not burning trash or debris before 4 p.m. each day during spring fire season,” Governor McDonnell said. “Virginia’s 4 p.m. law has been in place for almost 70 years and is one of the best tools we have for reducing the threat of wildfires. Because humidity levels typically increase and wind speeds usually decrease after 4 p.m., the likelihood of a fire escaping is reduced.”
 
            The Department of Forestry offers additional fire safety tips including:
 
·        Even if it’s after 4 p.m., don’t burn if the wind speed is in excess of 20 miles per hour and humidity levels are below 30 percent
·        Burn in small piles rather than one big pile
·        Before igniting your fire, clear the area around the pile down to bare dirt
·        Don’t add to the fire after midnight
·        Keep a fully charged hose and a shovel on hand to extinguish any spot fires that ignite away from the burn pile
·        Dial 9-1-1 as soon as a fire escapes your control
 
According to State Forester of Virginia Carl Garrison, more than 40 percent of the 1,114 wildfires in Virginia last year were caused by people burning trash or debris. “These fires threatened the lives of thousands of Virginians and more than 4,000 homes and structures in 2011,” Garrison said.
           
Starting a fire before 4 p.m. during spring fire season is not only dangerous, it’s a Class 3 misdemeanor crime. It can also be very costly. In addition to a fine of not more than $500, the person responsible for an escaping fire is financially liable for the cost of suppressing the fire and for damage caused to another’s property.
           
“A good-sized fire that escapes someone’s control can easily cost tens of thousands of dollars just in suppression efforts,” Garrison said. “If your fire burns down the neighbor’s home or barn, you could be liable for hundreds of thousands.”
            
The Department of Forestry will be using a new slogan this year to remind people about the 4 P.M. burn law. “Eager to Burn? Wait Your Turn” was developed by Neal Oberholtzer, a state area forester in Mecklenburg County, as a way to discourage people from burning before 4 p.m. The slogan will be featured on the Department of Forestry’s website as a click-through portal to information on wildland fires.
           
The Virginia Department of Forestry protects and develops healthy, sustainable forest resources for Virginians. With nearly 16 million acres of forestland and more than 144,000 Virginians employed in forestry, forest products and related industries, Virginia forests provide more than $27.5 billion annually in benefits to the Commonwealth.
 
 

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Firewise Program

A note from Jim Price, BRMCA Firewise coordinator… 

Who can forget, especially if you live on the mountain, the images of Southern California wild fires.  Fire trucks screaming around, hills and mountains engulfed in giant walls of flame, dire weather forecasts, and the inevitable interviews with exhausted fire fighters and devastated homeowners at the site of what was once their home, but is now just a smoldering foundation.  Thankfully that can’t happen here on our mountain, but don’t assume that so fast skippy.  It can. 

If you click here you will get the results of a risk assessment done by the Virginia Department of Forestry on our little community of 450 homes and we have the HIGHEST risk score available.  Thanks to Becky Fay we are now part of a program to reduce that risk and be better prepared should all the conditions line up against us.  We are faced with the kinds of serious dangers like our brothers and sisters in Southern California and other parts of the country face. 

The BRMCA is actively involved with our partners, the Prince William Department of Fire and Rescue, the Virginia Department of Forestry and the National Forest Service to reduce our risk, and at the same time prepare for the worst.  The most essential element in this program though, is you. 

You need to do a personal risk assessment of your property. 

You need to prepare for the worst and have your personal evacuation plan prepared and rehearsed. 

You need to send us the hours you spend reducing risk so we can apply your time to the Firewise grant process.  The grants will allow us to reduce fuel loads, monitor danger conditions, enhance access for our local fire fighting forces, manage our meager water resources, educate all of us about the dangers and of course get out when conditions warrant education. 

You need to read all about the program here so you can do your part as a member of the community.  If we’re not part of the solution, then we very well may be part of the problem. 

Bruce