EASTON, MD- In response to a rising number of fires, Talbot County has enacted an emergency burn ban. The decision, made Friday afternoon, followed a request from local firefighters and Talbot County Emergency Services.
In Easton, off of Matthewstown Rd and off of Cordova Rd, there has been extensive damage to farmland that burned this week, a scenario becoming alarmingly frequent. These incidents underscore the urgent need for the burn ban, as evidenced by images [pictured above] of farmland and tractor fires.
"Daily, we've had four [fires] in Talbot County this week," said Eric Voorhees, Chief of the Queen Anne-Hillsboro Volunteer Fire Department. "If you include Caroline and Queen Anne counties, where I also serve, we've had seven in the last week and almost a dozen in the last two."
Sonny Jones, Chief of the Easton Volunteer Fire Department, attributed the fires to a combination of dry conditions and high temperatures. "We're seeing an increase in natural vegetation fires, primarily due to agricultural operations. Equipment malfunctions or overheating while farmers are harvesting or cutting crops often ignite these fires, which then spread rapidly," Jones explained.
In light of these conditions, the burn ban across Talbot County is effective immediately. Chuck Callahan, President of the Talbot County Council, emphasized the importance of the ban for community and firefighter safety. "When firefighters tell us it's problematic for them, we have to take action to protect them," Callahan said.
The burn ban prohibits fire pits, bonfires, and personal fireworks, and will remain in effect for 30 days. Similar bans are in place for all of Delaware, as well as Wicomico, Worcester, and Somerset counties.
For more information on the burn ban and safety precautions, residents are encouraged to contact Talbot County Emergency Services.
If you would like to help out the volunteer fire departments in your area, they ask that you donate cases of water and/or Gatorade.
According to the Easton Volunteer Fire Department, PEPSI in Salisbury donated 50 cases of water to Talbot County Volunteer Fire Departments.