Several Westmoreland municipalities issue burn bans in light of dry conditions
At least three Westmoreland municipalities have enacted burn bans in light of dry conditions in the region.
Derry Township issued a burn ban Monday, and Mt. Pleasant Township announced a burn ban Tuesday that will remain in effect until further notice.
Hempfield issued a burn ban Tuesday that will remain in effect until Dec. 5 unless conditions improve, said township fire Chief Anthony Kovacic.
Unity also announced a burn ban Tuesday until further notice. Open burning, recreational fires and fireworks are prohibited.
The Pittsburgh region has not seen significant rainfall since October, said Bill Modzelewski, a meteorologist for the National Weather Service office in Moon.
Unseasonably warm weather and low humidity also contributes to the dry weather. Temperatures reached 81 degrees in the Pittsburgh area Tuesday, beating the previous 80-degree record high temperature for Nov. 5 set in 1948.
But residents may see some relief from the dry conditions this weekend, with about a quarter of an inch of rain in the forecast.
“If that does happen and we do get this low pressure system moving through … that would be the most rainfall we’ve had in the Pittsburgh area since Oct. 6,” Modzelewski said.
The weather service issued a special weather statement Monday, warning that dry weather and wind gusts have increased the risk of brush fires.
The state Department of Conservation and Natural Resources has prohibited outdoor burning at state parks and forests until further notice. There have been 100 wildfires reported across the state in the past week, the department said in a statement Tuesday.
“It’s very fragile out there right now,” said Westmoreland County public safety Director Bud Mertz.
Mertz encouraged safe burning practices among residents in municipalities without official bans in place.
“If they are burning,” he said, “they need to set up all the safety precautions as possible to make sure it stays safe and controlled.”
Residents should keep a watchful eye on the fire and have a water supply nearby to quickly mitigate the flames if needed, he said.
Quincey Reese is a TribLive reporter covering the Greensburg and Hempfield areas. She also does reporting for the Penn-Trafford Star. A Penn Township native, she joined the Trib in 2023 after working as a Jim Borden Scholarship intern at the company for two summers. She can be reached at qreese@triblive.com.
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