As severe drought conditions continue, burn bans prohibiting all outdoor fires are being declared around Montgomery County.
Patch Staff
MONTGOMERY COUNTY, PA — As severe drought conditions continue and the risk of wildlife increases, burn bans prohibiting all outdoor fires are being declared around Montgomery County.
A slew of new municipalities, including most of the county's municipalities with rural areas, either declared bans this week or already did earlier in October. Among them are Lower Moreland, Hatboro, Royersford, Lower Providence, Trappe, Skippack, West Conshohocken, Whitemarsh, Hatfield, Montgomery Township, North Wales, Schwenksville, Upper Pottsgrove, Lower Pottsgrove, Red Hill, Pennsburg, and others.
Notable exceptions are major population centers like Pottstown and Norristown, but the risk is not as dire in heavily urbanized areas.
"The combination of drought, dry fuels (yes, those pretty fall leaves ), winds and changing temperatures greatly increase wildfire danger," Royersford authorities said in a statement. "Wildfire activity has increased throughout area. There have been many around the county, and risk only continues to increase. This is where we call on our local community for help. By reducing risk of fires, we protect our homes, neighborhoods and natural spaces from destruction."
Residents are asked to be particularly careful and mindful when putting out cigarettes outdoors.
Find out what's happening in Lower Providencewith free, real-time updates from Patch.
Some bans are in place for a month. Others in more urban areas, like West Conshohocken, have only declared the ban for about a week, through Nov. 6, at which time they'll re-evaluate conditions.
The bans prohibit the open burning of "any combustible material" outdoors, including in a burn barrel, fire ring, fire pit, or on the ground.
On the U.S. Drought Monitor's scale, "severe" drought, which is what most of Montgomery County is currently classified under, is the third most serious out of five classifications. Exceptional drought is the most dire, followed by extreme, and then severe, moderate, and an "abnormally dry" status.
A countywide burn ban has also been issued in both Delaware and Chester counties for the next month.
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