A little spark will do it

Alexis Barker
NLJ News Editor
 
Newcastle and Weston County as a whole have been under a red flag warning for increased fire danger for roughly the past two weeks, according to Robert Munger, chief of the Newcastle Volunteer Fire Department. Both the relatively low humidity in recent weeks, and the extended lack of precipitation in the area, have increased the fire danger, Munger said. 
According to the National Weather Service in Rapid City, Newcastle has had 5.35 inches of precipitation from Jan. 1 to the morning of July 13. The average for this  time period is 9.56 inches, and in 2018 Newcastle received a record 16.2 inches of precipitation from Jan. 1 to July 13. 
Since mid-June, the fire department has responded to 31 calls for service related to fires. According to Daniel Tysdal, Weston County Fire Warden, 29 of those calls were for actual fires, the other two were false alarms. 
“So thus far in 2020, we’ve had 22 wildfires, the total of which seven were natural causes for 46.55 acres, and 15 were human caused for 15.93 acres. Note, however, this number does not include the seven firework fires that were inside Newcastle City limits the night of the Fourth,” Tysdal said. 
The last time the area saw fire and drought conditions like this, Munger said, was in 2012 when the Oil Creek fire burned 62,318 acres and sparked pre-evacuation and evacuation orders for residents within city limits, as well as in the county. 
“We do not need that again. There is a fire ban for a reason. Conditions are bad this year,” Munger said. “I knew we were going to be in trouble in May when a train sparked a fire. That is too early for that to be happening.”
According to Tysdal, the number of fires has been steadily climbing over recent weeks due to the dry conditions. 
“As we progress through summer, I would expect these numbers to continue to increase unless our current hot, dry and windy weather pattern changes,” Tysdal said. “The public can help prevent wildfires by being extremely cautious with any outdoor activity that could start a fire. If they do have a campfire that is within the parameters of the open burning restrictions, they still need to drown, stir and touch it before leaving the area.” 
He noted that if the remains are too hot to touch, then they are too hot to leave. 
“Also, don’t drive through or park in tall grass or brush. If towing a trailer, ensure that safety chains don’t drag, which could create sparks and start a fire,” Tysdal said. He added that he would suggest people wait to burn refuse until conditions improve, despite the open burn restrictions still allowing for the practice. 
The Newcastle Volunteer Fire Department has decided to cancel the fireworks show for 2020 and put on an even bigger show next year during the 4th of July weekend and the Newcastle High School All School Reunion. 
“We planned on shooting them off the night of the Fourth, but with fire calls that night from grass to the back of a pickup, that night didn’t work out,” Munger said. “We were then going to shoot for Sunday but we wound up on fires down Highway 450 with all of our resources, trucks and people.” 
“When you factor all of the things in, it is just not a good idea to set off a ton of fireworks, especially with the wind blowing the way that it has been. It is just too unpredictable and volatile,” Munger continued. “Everything is stacked against us. We know the public wanted a show, especially those who donated, but it is in the best interest of those living near the site to wait.”