The recent dry weather is ushering in a risk of brush fires.
According to Scott fire officials, drier conditions and increased winds are contributing to an increased rate of field fires.
KATC spoke to Scott Fire Chief Chad Sonnier about what you can do to prevent it around your home and areas of business.
"With the north winds and low humidity, it has dried it out a lot quicker so we see an increase in grass fires and trash fires. People are lighting fires and are getting away from them. We had one this weekend. Where someone lit a trash fire and the wind took it started falling asleep,” said Scott Fire Chief Chad Sonnier.
Sonnier says his department is already seeing a more than 50 percent increase in field fires this season because of changes in weather.
Here's what the Chief says you can do to prevent fires around your home:
"Make sure you plow around it and have a water hose handy and just keep an eye on it don't leave it unattended and don't go to bed at night. Even its smoldering wind can pick up in the middle of the night. And that fire can jump and go to an open field,” Sonnier said
Chief Sonnier advises everyone to be careful when around any fire that could spread rapidly.
"Make sure everybody's accounted for, you may have someone trying to put out the fire and you may have someone fall or get burned and the smoke is overcoming them because there is a lot of smoke and it could overcome them and pass out,” Sonnier added.
The demonstration done in the story above was monitored by a professional. Do not try at home. Call 911 if you witness a field fire.
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