Anatomy Of A Grass Fire

There have been multiple reports Wednesday afternoon of grass fires across the Stateline. The weather definitely supplied the conditions needed for controlled burns to get out of control in a hurry.

There are three main ingredients needed for grass fires and wildfires.
1. Warm temperatures help to dry out things like grass and sticks that become the fuel for fires.
2. Low humidity associated with prolonged periods of dry weather also help to aid in conditions needed for fires to start and spread.
3. Once a fire starts, strong winds can help fires spread quickly.

We have definitely seen our share of dry conditions since March 1st. Through Wednesday, Rockford has only picked about about an inch of precipitation since the beginning of March, when we should be seeing closer to three inches.


Our next rain chance comes Thursday, which combined with calmer winds, should help to aid in reducing fire weather conditions a little. -BA