Grass fires follow flood
Grass fires follow flood
5 May 2009
published by www.winnipegfreepress.com
Canada — Sunny skies and warmer weather has sparked new concerns for emergency officials grass fires.
Winnipeg Fire Department platoon chief Bob Wright said many people would be surprised that grass fires are a concern when flooding was on everyones mind only a few days ago.
But he said the warmer weather has dried off the surface quite quickly. While the ground remains very wet, surface grass and leaves are brittle and susceptible to fire.
“We havent had any more grass fires than usual at this time of year, but the surface grass is dry and that can burn quickly,” Wright said.
Most grass fires appear to be the result of carelessness, Wright said, caused by someone burning off either a ditch or a pile of leaves.
“Those situations can be dangerous because grass fires create their own wind and our people can get caught in them,” Wright said.
“What appears to be a simple grass fire can become very dangerous very quickly.”
