After a long winter, a warm and bird-chirping shot of spring has made its way into the region this week.
But that means that we’re in a red flag warning season, and one of those warnings was issued Wednesday morning for most of western Pennsylvania, including Venango, Clarion and Forest counties.
A red flag warning, according to the National Weather Service website, “means warm temperatures, very low humidities and stronger winds are expected to combine to produce an increased risk of fire danger.”
Wetzel’s advice was to not burn anything.
“I mean, things are dry and conditions are good for large fires (in general),” he said. “Burning is highly discouraged around this time of year because sparks can start a fire, and it can grow quickly,” Wetzel added.
“Try to avoid burning,” he said. “Avoid it until the red flag comes down.”
Rain is in the forecast starting Saturday afternoon and continuing into early next week. Temperatures are also expected to dip sharply overnight Sunday and into Monday.
“A common misconception people have,” Long added, “is that after it rains, it’s safe to burn.”
Long explained that the ground and things on the ground are flammable after rain.
Both Wetzel and Long added that residents must have a permit to burn anything in Franklin or Oil City.
