Statewide fire ban continues despite recent rainfall

While Mother Nature brought some much-needed rain to the Lakes Region this week, the statewide burn ban remains in effect, and firefighters say most residents have been cooperative since the start.

“Most people have been really good about it,” Laconia Fire Chief Tim Joubert said. “There have been only a few calls about burns in backyards. It seems like people are paying attention.”

The statewide ban was issued by Gov. Kelly Ayotte on Sept. 22, following a summer of drought conditions which led to brush fires throughout the Granite State. She issued a proclamation prohibiting camping fires, debris burning, and smoking in or around woodlands and public trails.

Laconia had not issued burn permits for at least a week before that, and local firefighters were exceptionally busy with outside blazes as summer came to a close. This included on Interstate 93, when departments from across the Lakes Region battled brush fires in Tilton and Northfield, as well as Gilford’s Kimball Castle and two acres surrounding it in late August.

Staff from the Department of Natural and Cultural Resources recently issued a media release, which included the governor’s proclamation and facts about how the drought conditions increase wildfire risk. The release noted 90% of wildfires in New Hampshire are caused by humans, and to prevent this, people should refrain from any outdoor fires, as well as properly dispose of smoking materials and woodstove ash.

Joubert said police would issue any tickets for violations — which could be a fine of up to $2,000 — but, so far, have not had to do so.

Over the holiday weekend, Laconia firefighters responded to three outside fires, but Joubert said those people had seasonal permits issued as far back as the beginning of the year, and thought because of the rain it was OK to burn. Joubert said the fires were all contained, causing no damage, and did not get out of control.

“They were nothing major, and mostly just campfires,” Joubert said. “We had three calls, and they were literally people roasting marshmallows on campfires.”

Tilton-Northfield Fire Chief Michael Sitar said most people seem to be following the rules, and there have been no problems of note. However, he said even with a small amount of rain on Tuesday morning, the fire station was receiving phone calls from residents asking if they could burn.

“We don’t know when it will be lifted, but we really need about 12 inches of rain to get back to normal, and that can’t be all at once,” Sitar said. “I live in the Weirs, and this morning I crossed the over the bridge and took a picture of the lake level, and the water is below where the gauge hits the ground.”

Sitar noted Winnipesaukee's level entering Paugus Bay was under 502 feet, and the normal level is 504 feet, 4 inches.

“That is really low, considering how wet the spring was, when we didn’t know where to put all that water.”

Sitar said when the statewide ban is lifted, he will look at issuing permits, but also noted even before the ban, his department was restricting permits.

“Most people understand not to burn because it is so dry, but people saw less than 0.01 inch of rain, and they were already asking if they could burn,” Sitar said.

Meredith Fire Chief Ken Jones said they didn’t respond to any outside fires this weekend, but there have had “two or three” occasions when people have burned outside. Much like Laconia, they were simply not aware of the statewide ban. His department has not issued any tickets or official warnings.

“People have responded positively and extinguished their fire, and life goes on,” Jones said. “When it is lifted, we will issue permits for burning brush piles and things of that nature.”

Belmont Fire Chief Deborah Black also thinks the public has a good understanding they shouldn’t burn, saying it has been publicized well by the media and local departments.

“It seems like people have really adhered to the no burning,” Black said.

There was only one call last week where Belmont Fire Department had to “educate” someone on not burning brush, which is a common practice in New Hampshire this time of year. Other than that, Black said it has been uneventful.

Black also doesn’t see any indication the ban will be lifted soon.

“Even with this rain now there is still no burning, and I don’t see anything in the forecast to stop that.”

With the winter coming, normally the snow falls, and there would be no recourse for burning. Black was unsure if this would be different this year, because of the continual drought conditions.

“We have gone through bans in the past where it rains a few days and it gets lifted,” Black said. “But even the storm we had this weekend wasn’t much.”

Gilford Fire Chief Steve Carrier told the selectboard at the Oct. 8 meeting he did not believe the governor will need to take action if snow falls and the ban were still in effect. It would be automatically lifted.

“I believe it would go away automatically,” Carrier said in the meeting. “I don’t believe the governor would have to act on that, because it is already written into the rules that fires can’t transmit to the woodlands. Then there is no hazard.”