The Cookeville Fire Department has suspended the issuance of all burn permits due to a prolonged lack of rainfall and an increase in local fire activity.
Cookeville Fire Department Chief Benton Young said the decision follows several weeks without significant precipitation. The department monitors local vegetation and weather patterns to determine when the risk of fire spread becomes too high for residential burning.
“You know you may have a small fire out in a burn pit or something but those embers can get out and start a grass fire, brush fire very easily when it’s dry like this,” Young said. “We also had multiple grass fires and some mulch fires, so it was a good indicator that we needed to stop issuing burn permits for the time being.”
Young said the department tracks specific environmental indicators before implementing a ban. Young said these factors include the lack of rain and a noticeable rise in brush or mulch fires.
“It just comes and goes and it could be in the spring of the year, it could be in the fall of the year, you know all times of the year as far as when the dry comes up and we don’t get any rain and that’s when we have to start looking at that,” Young said.
Young said lifting the suspension requires more than a brief shower. Young said the department looks for several inches of soaking rain over two or three days to properly hydrate the ground.
“The ground’s so dry right now that it just absorbs it all and doesn’t really help that much,” Young said. “Especially like the conditions we have now with the low humidity and if you add some wind to that you can have a pretty large fire in just a few minutes.”
Young said wind can carry embers across roads and into distant areas, causing fires to jump. Young said individuals who start fires are legally and financially responsible for any damage caused to their own property or the property of their neighbors.
“So if it does get out and damages their property or another person’s property or whatever else, they’re responsible for that,” Young said. “So they want to take that into consideration.”
Young said the department relies on community cooperation to maintain safety during dry spells. Young said residents should report any fires that appear to be out of hand or unauthorized immediately rather than attempting to extinguish them alone.
“We can get there quickly and see what resources we need and get that addressed and get it put out as quick as we can,” Young said.