By Jess Mancini
For The Parkersburg News and Sentinel
PARKERSBURG – Fall fire season starts Thursday in Ohio and West Virginia when residents are encouraged to follow the regulations, take precautions and use common sense when burning outside.
Top of the list is to adhere to the times when burning is prohibited, Chief Mark Wile of the Warren Township Volunteer Fire Department said. In Ohio, burning in unincorporated areas is banned from 6 a.m. to 6 p.m. from Oct. 1 to Nov. 30
“Higher humidity in the evening and less wind are the main reasons for that,” he said.
The fall fire season in West Virginia is from Oct. 1 to Dec. 31. Outdoor burning is permitted between 5 p.m. and 7 a.m. Fire must be out by 7 a.m., according to state code Chapter 20-3-5.
“Fall fire season is a critical time for forest protection in West Virginia,” Jeremy Jones, director and state forester of the West Virginia Division of Forestry. “With autumn leaves covering the ground and lower humidity during the day, even a small campfire or debris burn can quickly escape control. Escaped debris fires remain our leading cause of wildfires, but they are entirely preventable.”
Besides the seasonal regulations, common sense should also be used, Wile said. For example, never leave a fire unattended and have a means available to extinguish a fire before it gets out of control, such as a water hose, he said.
It is important to pay attention to the environmental factors, he said. High winds can easily spread a fire, Wile said.
“Some people don’t pay attention to that,” Wile said. “Be careful and use common sense.”
While the top of leaves on the ground are wet, underneath the leaves can easily catch fire, he said.
“Underneath they’re still pretty dry,” Wile said. “They can take off.”
Depending on the size of the burn, it’s also not a bad idea to inform a department when the amount of brush to be burned is large enough to be mistaken for a wildfire, Wile said.
From the latest statistics from the Insurance Information Institute, more than 1,100 wildfires were reported in Ohio and West Virginia in 2024, burning 2,441 and 55,307 acres, respectively.
“It doesn’t take much for a debris fire to escape and become a wildfire, especially when conditions are dry,” Dan Balser, chief of the Ohio Department of Natural Resources Division of Forestry, said. “Following Ohio’s burning regulations and taking a few basic safety precautions can help protect your property, your neighbors and Ohio’s forests.”
Burning outdoors is restricted during the day because of the large amount of dry leaves and dry vegetation on the forest floor that can cause fires to spread. In West Virginia, burning debris is the most common cause of wildfires, about 35% of all wildfires over the past 10 years, the Division of Natural Resource said.
Ohio and West Virginia also have spring outdoor burning bans with seasons in both states from March 1 to May 31. Outdoor burning is prohibited between 6 a.m. and 6 p.m. in the spring in Ohio and between 7 a.m. and 5 p.m. in West Virginia.
Among recommended safety tips are:
* Know weather conditions
* Have tools and water on hand
* Never leave a burn unattended
* Know state and local burning regulations
* Ask local fire departments for additional information and safety considerations
* Consider a safer method such as composting rather than burning
Read more from The Parkersburg News and Sentinel here
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