Fire Danger
What does it mean when the State D.E.E.P. issues the fire danger with a Spread factor of 12 and Buildup Factor of 13?
These factors help determine the Burning Index for the region which can range from Low, Moderate, High, Very High, and Extreme with a “Red Flag Warning” when there is an increased risk of fire danger.
Spread and Build up are based on how far an uncontrolled fire will travel along the ground in current weather conditions. This is determined by taking into account the relative humidity, wind, and precipitation in a given area.
Spread: is the distance an uncontrolled fire will travel that is measured in “chains-per-hour” (per the National Fire Danger Reporting System). A “chain” is 66 feet. If you take a Spread index of 12 x 66’, a fire can travel 792 feet per hour if left uncontrolled.
Build-up: Tracks Fuel Moisture & Reflects the combined cumulative effects of daily drying and precipitation in fuels with a 10 day time lag constant. So 0 to 25 is considered Normal, 26 to 50 is Critical, and 50 to 100 is extreme.
Since the burn index is based on a large geographic region and there are many different factors on every hill and valley in Litchfield County, when burning in Norfolk (even with a valid permit) please take every precaution to make sure your burn pile is not endangering nearby dry foliage not intended to burn such as fields, dry leaves, woods, etc.