Avoiding Summer Grass Fires
by
Alex Russel, All About Lawns Columnist
In many parts of the United States, especially during summers
as dry as recent ones, officials are urging caution when operating lawn
machinery around dry grass. In the Midwest and
mountain states, officials have gone as far as asking farm equipment
operators to carry a fire extinguisher with them when working with a
lawn or field grasses.
Avoiding Grass Fires "It's always a good idea to have
something on your tractor or swather that will enable you to put out a
fire," said Hamilton fire chief Ron Ehli, according to the Ravilli
Republic, a Montana newspaper.
Ehli said special restrictions
already exist in forested areas which limit the times of day a person
can operate chainsaws and other equipment, and utility companies are
required to carry water or fire extinguishers when doing work on
forested lands. During extremely dry times, he says, it's wise to carry
those requirements over to the home lawn.
Can Cars Cause Lawn Fire? Cars can cause grass fires too,
making some think that requiring lawn and grass gardeners to carry fire
extinguishers a little extreme.
"Driving on dry grass fields
with modern cars with catalytic converters is probably a bigger problem
than farm machinery," said Hamilton Rural Fire District trustee Lee
Foss, a rancher. Ravalli County Extension Agent Rob Johnson agrees.
"I've never even heard of hay fields catching fire," he said. "Most of them are irrigated."
Unusual Conditions Cause Unusual Measures But Johnson said
that unusually dry conditions call for unusual measures, and he
suggests people operating equipment in dry grass carry water that they
can move around.
Hot and dry summers make it particularly important to beware of the dangers of lawn and grass fires.
Sources:
About the Author
Alex Russel is a freelance writer living in Brooklyn, NY. Since
graduating from Syracuse University he has worked at many different
media companies in fields as diverse as film, TV, advertising, and
journalism. He holds a dual bachelor's degree in English and History.
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