Outdoor burning discouraged throughout Delaware

Outdoor burning is currently discouraged in The First State.

According to the Delaware Forest Service, this is one time of year when wildfires are most likely to break out.

The U.S. Drought Monitor puts more than half of the state at a "severe drought watch" and the rest of the state is in a "moderate" drought watch." Humidity has also been low.

The Forest Service said there have been more than 420 outdoor fires across Delaware from last November through February.

“Most people think of the summer as being the most dangerous time for wildfires, but in Delaware, the period of leaf drop in the fall and right now, when vegetation is dormant, and the fine fuel moisture is low, is when we see the most wildfires,” State Forester Kyle Hoyd said. “This is the worst I have seen for fine fuel issues in my 20 years with the Delaware Forest Service. Just last week, we fought a wildfire where there was crown torching on 30 to 50-foot-high trees. We need residents to take this request seriously for their safety, as well as their neighbors and their communities.”

“With the increased response needed right now, we have staff on-call around the clock, maintaining equipment and responding to the scenes when our assistance is requested,” Delaware Wildland Fire Supervisor Sam Topper said. “When you look at the increase in wildfire activity over the past five years, with the calls really hitting hard in 2024 and already high this year, there is a real concern on how our small staff can continue to operate at these levels state-wide. If this is the new norm, we need the Delaware Forest Service to be fully staffed and have updated working equipment to protect our staff in larger fires.”

The Delaware Forest Service provided additional tips:

Creating Defensible Space Around Your Home

The Delaware Forest Service encourages Delawareans to create a defensible space around their homes as a safety buffer from wildfires. The goal of defensible space is to slow or stop wildfire spread while protecting homes and providing firefighters with a safer area to fight wildfire.

Your Home to 5 Feet from the Furthest Point of the Structure:

Clear the roof and gutters of dead leaves, pine needles, and debris.

Replace or repair loose or missing shingles to prevent embers from gaining access to the roof.

Remove any flammable materials, including mulch, flammable plants, leaves, pine needles, and firewood piles, from the home’s exterior walls.

Prevent the build-up of combustible materials from collecting under stairs, decks, and porches.

Within 5 to 30 feet from Your Home:

Remove vegetation under trees so a surface fire cannot reach the crowns of trees.

Clear vegetation from under large stationary propane tanks.

Keep lawns and native grasses mowed to a height of four inches.

Ensure that when fully mature, no tree canopy is closer than 10 feet to the edge of a structure.

Place trees and shrubs in small clusters to minimize the continuity of vegetation in the landscape.

Utilize driveways, sidewalks, patios, and decks to create a fuel break.