Fire safety tips as temperatures rise

BOWLING GREEN, Ky.-As the temperatures rise as we near summer, the concern also rises for outdoor fires. 

“I expect the fire runs to pick up in the near future. We’ve had a lot of winds, a lot of down trees and tree limbs down, people are going to start to burn brush and trash and things like that,” said Woodburn Volunteer Fire Department Police Chief Bob Skipper. 

Most brush fires are caused by someone who is burning things like tree limbs, and then the wind picks up and it gets away from them. 

Small fires can even turn into a much larger problem. 

“If there’s much of a breeze it can easily get away from them and cause a field fire. Sometimes those field fires can get pretty big and spread to structures,” said Skipper. 

When burning, you should have a water source close by, be mindful of the wind, and remain by the fire the entire time.

Be sure to put out the fire completely and double check before leaving the area. 

Instances of grill fires are also more likely to occur. 

“With the weather warming up, people do wanna get outside and start grilling more. So we just recommend keeping the grill about three feet from your house. Make sure you’re attending that grill at all times. And be sure to clean it after you’re done grilling, that prevents any grease from occurring,” said Bowling Green Fire Department PIO Katie McKee. 

The main piece of advice firefighters have is to just be smart. 

“Have common sense when it comes to having people take care of their properties. That’s the biggest thing, if you think things through, maybe you’d stay out of trouble,” said Skipper.