By Stephen Smoot
As drought conditions have worsened in Pendleton County, emergency officials have already started work to plan for potential emergencies related to the conditions.
Rick Gillespie, Pendleton County Emergency Services coordinator, shared that “Bruce Minor and I have reviewed our plans dealing with droughts.” Minor serves as a senior first responder in the county, as well as Franklin Town recorder.
Gillespie and Minor examined conditions of the Town of Franklin and Pendleton Public Service District water sources and supplies. As of now, Gillespie says, “Thus far, they are holding their own.”
He added that “if this situation persists and we need to facilitate some form of supplemental water supplies for part or all of the county, we will do that. If the town and/or one/all of the PSD locations need assistance or end up having to curtail water usage, we will assist in distributing that message, as well as any other useful messages.”
That said, Gillespie stated that citizens must “bear in mind we have no idea how long this is going to last or when we will receive meaningful rainfall, so now is the time to exercise conservation measures.”
If a water or other emergency warrants, Pendleton County officials will alert the public. Citizens are urged to enroll in the “Hyper-Reach” service that allows for robocalls, as well as voice and text messages to let citizens know about emergency situations. Those who wish to sign up can text “alert” to (304) 802-2072 or go to the website https://bit.ly/PendletonWVAlerts.
The Pendleton County WV Office of Emergency Management/911 Facebook page also always carries up to the minute information in case of emergencies.
Brian DiFalco from the Franklin Volunteer Fire Department stated that though “there is no burn ban in effect,” people ought to “try and hold off until we get moisture.” If a landowner feels a vital need to conduct a burn, however, DiFalco offered important tips.
He said that before conducting a burn during the current conditions to call the Pendleton 911 non emergency number (304-358-3271) to let officials know. That way, if a smoke report comes in, officials can check and see if it is a controlled and supervised burn. This will “prevent a response when it’s not needed.”
When conducting burns during dry conditions, “form a circle of bare earth about five to 10 feet in width” completely around the objects to be burned and “always have a form of extinguishment handy” whether that be a hose, irrigation equipment, or earth moving tools capable of quickly covering the spot if needed.
When finishing the burn, “make sure it’s fully extinguished.” That means turning the dirt and ashes over with tools and, if possible, using water to cool the site. Placing one’s hand directly over and close to, but not touching the site is the ultimate test of safety. If one feels no heat, it is likely extinguished.
“Those sparks can stay active longer than you anticipate,” DiFalco shared.
Gilespie warns that “as for the fire danger – we feel that it is increasing every day.” Though the trees still appear lush and well-watered with luxuriant canopies of leaves, “the forest floors are full of dry fuel from leaves and downed/dead trees and limbs.”
“Our forests have plenty of fuel in them,” he added.
West Virginia University Extension Service Forest Resources management specialist encourages landowners to avoid burning altogether, saying the “fuel” described by Gillespie “can dry out and ignite very easily.”
Homeowners need to remain vigilant as well. “We encourage residents with houses and other structures located within wooded areas to practice the Firewise Program and concentrate on removing combustible materials from near the foundations of their homes,” Gillespie explained. According to the Firewise Program information page on the West Virginia Department of Natural Resources website, these materials include pine needles, dead leaves, tree branches, and other materials that can burn easily.
It also states, “don’t store firewood on or under porches and decks . . . don’t store machinery such as four-wheelers and lawn mowers under decks and porches,” and “use fire-resistant plants around your home, including flowering dogwoods, azaleas, and more.”
The Firewise page offers many more tips and resources for those creating a fire safety plan for their structure.
