Forest fire danger levels are a concern right now - Easton Courier
State environmental officials are reminding residents that forest fire danger levels are on the rise, due to the typical spring weather conditions Connecticut is experiencing.
After the snow melts in the northeastern part of the United States, the region enters into a traditional spring fire season. Deciduous trees are bare, and the warm spring sun heats up the forest fuels, such as grasses, leaves, twigs, branches, and decaying material in the soil.
During the springtime, wind is the most critical weather component in determining fire danger. The spring fire season persists until the trees fully leaf out, normally by mid-May.
The state Department of Environmental Protection’s (DEP) Division of Forestry constantly monitors the danger of forest fire, to help protect Connecticut’s 1.8 million acres of forested land.
Forest fire danger levels can be classified as low, moderate, high, very high or extreme. In an average year, forest fires scorch about 1,300 acres of Connecticut woodland.