With high fire danger, towns ban open burns

© 2016 Telegraph Publishing LLC

Without significant rain and with gusting winds, area towns including Chester, Andover, Grafton, Weston and Rockingham have banned open burning. The burn ban will be in place until the area gets significant rain.  Rain is in the forecast for Monday.

The National Weather Service has announced that the danger of open fires spreading is high today, Saturday, April 23.

“North winds of 10 to 15 mph with gusts 20 to 25 mph can be expected today. These winds combined with clearing skies will lead to drying conditions this afternoon when minimum relative humidities of 25 to 30 percent are expected. This will lead to an increased risk of fire weather concerns this afternoon. Given the brisk north winds and drying expected today any fires that do occur could spread quickly and be difficult to contain. Thus outside burning is not advised today.”

Regardless of the weather, any open burning (when there is no snow on the ground)  requires a permit. Permits must be obtained by calling the fire warden in the town where the burn would take place. All other open burns are illegal.

Chester Fire Warden Jeff Holden last night issued an open burn ban for that town. Open burning includes burning a pile on the ground, using a burn barrel and burning in any open topped container.

Below is a list of towns,their fire wardens and contact information.

Andover

Alan Plumb
Home: 802-875-3351
Work: 802-875-3630
Email: plumblumber@gmail.com

Baltimore

Mark Whaley
Home: 802-263-5680
Work: 802-885-8340

Cavendish

Roger Sheehan
Home: 802-226-7692
Email: bessiesheehan@gmail.com

Chester

Jeffery Holden
Home: 802-875-6336
Work: 802-384-3001
Email: jeffholden60@yahoo.com

Grafton

William Brown Jr.
Home: 802-843-2523
Cell: 802-380-0131
Email: bbbrown@vermontel.net

Londonderry

James H. Twitchell
Home: 802-824-3605
Work: 802-855-3644

Ludlow 

Brett A. Sanderson
Home: 802-228-8728
Work: 802-228-4715
Cell: 802-384-4677
Email: sandersoncontracting@gmail.com

Rockingham

John S. Cenate
Home:  802-463-3674
Work:  802-463-4343
Cell:  802-376-4143

Email:  shadow_bf@hotmail.com

Springfield

Russell Thompson Jr.
Home: 802-885-4852
Work: 802-885-9200
Email: rthompson@springfieldvtfire.org

Weston

Denis G. Benson
Home: 802-824-3418
Work: 802-824-6988

Windham

J. Richard Weitzel
Home: 802-874-4104
Email: weijonathanr@aol.com