'Unprecedented' Drought Conditions Lead To Montco Burn Ban

NORRISTOWN, PA — Montgomery County has issued a countywide burn ban as dangerously dry conditions persist into late November.

The countywide declaration comes after numerous municipalities across the county have already issued their own bans. Chester and Delaware counties also have countywide bans in place. Montgomery County's denser urban areas likely led authorities to hold off on this latest measure, but conditions have not improved.

The Montgomery County Department of Public Safety's deputy director, Jason Wilson, called the lack of rainfall and general conditions "unprecedented."

"These abnormally dry conditions and persistent lack of rainfall pose a great public safety concern by way of brush, wildland, and forest fires," Wilson said.

The county's fire companies have responded to hundreds of brush and vegetation fires — more than 300, in fact — since the beginning of September. Many acres of natural and developed land have been destroyed.

The ban is in place for 30 days, starting on Nov. 16. It prohibits all open fires, including the burning of any of the following:

• Wood
• Garbage
• Leaves
• Grass
• Twigs
• Litter
• Paper
• Vegetative matter
• Debris of any sort

Fines for violation of the ban are $100 for the first offense, $200 for the second offense and $300 for the third offense, authorities said.

According to the U.S. Drought Monitor, parts of of southeastern Pennsylvania are currently experiencing a moderate drought, but most of Chester, Delaware, Montgomery, and Bucks counties are in a severe drought.

Climate change creates conditions that exacerbate both severe weather and drought: when things are dry as they are now, lingering heat and increased evaporation rates are likely to make them even drier. And when storms hit, they draw even more moisture from a warmer ocean, making them even more severe.

Droughts are caused by more than just a lack of total amassed rainfall. And the risk extends beyond just wildfires. Stream and river flow, groundwater level, and soil moisture all play a role, and each requires regular precipitation to maintain a delicate balance to provide both a healthy and functioning ecosystem and sustainable drinking water levels.

For droughts specifically, water evaporates more quickly when it's warmer. Hotter soils are drier. Drought conditions mean less greenery is growing, which means that plants are absorbing less CO2, creating a feedback loop that further contributes to warming.