Imagine what it’s like for a firefighter to battle fires when the thermometer hits 80, 90 or even 100 degrees. It’s a challenge. Members of the Montgomery County Fire and Rescue Service (MCFRS) deal with these conditions on a daily basis in the summer.
MCM spoke with Montgomery County Fire and Rescue Service spokesman Pete Piringer about the difficult task firefighters face.
“We expect our people to be ready when they come to work. That often involves proper nutrition and hydration. We plan for the weather. Firefighters train for it, whether it is extremely cold or hot. But we also keep watch on our firefighters during the extreme heat,” Piringer said.
The Fire Department will bring in safety officers and extra personnel when conditions are tough.
“We bring in air-conditioned vehicles or an ambulance bus to help shelter some neighbors that might be affected by the weather, but also to provide relief for the firefighters,” Piringer explained.
“If firefighters are responding to a house fire, they might battle the flames for 10 or 15 minutes on a normal day. Sometimes when it is very hot, we’ll recycle those crews after 5 or 6 minutes. Then we will bring in a fresh crew,” Piringer told MCM.
Even when firefighters train in the summer, the department might shift the activity indoors. Piringer said the department pays close attention to firefighters’ heat exposure. That way firefighters can stay healthy and fight a fire or help an injured person when the need arises.
Wildfire Danger
Wildfires are one of the danger firefighters face. Prolonged heat, arid, and windy conditions can potentially create the perfect conditions for wildfires to spread.
Often people think Maryland and the County are immune from wildfires and this problem only occurs in California and other states out West.
The state’s Department of Natural Resources (DNR) says on average, the Maryland Forest Service responds to 500 wildfires each year. Those fires burn more than 4,000 acres. Local fire departments put out more than 5,000 wildfires annually. The wildfires threaten thousands of homes and buildings and the flames damage or destroy dozens of properties.
Wildfires occur year-round in Maryland where the peak seasons are fall and spring. That’s because the leaves are off the trees, and humidity is usually low. However, the summertime can still be dangerous.
Officials at the DNR say the only natural cause of wildfires is a lightning strike. That happens only about 3% of the time. The rest of the fires occur because people start them either by accident or intentionally.
“There is a fire danger. If you have lower humidity and a little bit of wind, you can have a fire danger situation. Weather can bring down power lines, and that can easily start a fire,” Piringer said.
Preventing Fires
However, he said one of the main causes of fire is when people improperly discard smoking materials. He said someone dropping a cigarette into a pile of mulch at a fast food drive through window is a common occurrence. Piringer recommends smokers snuff out their smoking materials and dispose of them properly.
He said another danger is when people gather around a fire pit this time of year.
“Make sure you do something appropriate with those ashes. Sometimes they can retain their heat for days, so make sure they are cool. You can put the ashes in a metal container with a tight lid, or even douse them with some water. But place the ashes far away from something that might burn,” Piringer advised.
County Rules on Fire Safety
The County has strict rules about open burning and recreational fires. The County prohibits open burning without a permit. Violators can face a $500 fine for each day it occurs. Some of the exceptions to the rule include cooking food and fires for recreational purposes like a campfire or bonfire.
Only dry, aged wood and brush may be burned in a recreational fire. Burning garbage, construction debris, lumber, leaves, tires, and materials which can produce dense smoke is prohibited.
The County requires residents attend to all fires and make sure the flames are kept at a safe distance from homes and buildings. People also must extinguish all fires they start and never walk away from a fire that is still burning.
Outdoor fires are not permitted during Code Orange or Code Red air quality days. The County also prohibits fires during days when there are Red Flag warnings.
