LIVINGSTON, Ky. (LEX 18) — A few acres can burn fast in Kentucky, where five wildfires are currently burning in Eastern Kentucky alongside dozens of controlled fires across the state.
"Anytime you mix people and woods and fire, you've got the potential for problems," Livingston Fire Chief Jeff Carpenter said.
Warmer temperatures, low humidity and dry leaves create the perfect recipe for a brush fire. In Kentucky, the spring fire season runs through the end of April, which is prime time for farmers and homeowners to conduct controlled burns.
"I'm a farmer and land owner myself," Carpenter said. "It's a tool we use to clean up the property, it's good for the soil, it's good for your land to replenish minerals, but the big thing is to look for the wind. If it's a windy, gusty day, maybe we need to wait till later on."
Carpenter said it only takes one spark to turn danger into disaster.
He describes Livingston as a district that "runs hot." Surrounded by forest and ready fuel, safety rules in the town are more than a suggestion. During fire season, state law bans open burning within 150 feet of woodland between 6 a.m. and 6 p.m.
"Wait till 6 o'clock. Wait til the wind lays, it usually lays in the afternoon, it's easier to control, the dew's fallen, you've got higher moisture content, it's easier to control the fire, and if it gets out of hand, we'll probably have more people to respond because they've got off work," Carpenter said.
Livingston Fire runs on volunteers. When the first crew is only one or two people, every second counts.
State officials say that if you plan to burn, check for county restrictions, keep water close and never leave flames unattended.
