VIGO COUNTY, Ind. (WTWO/WAWV) — This month is the 9th driest August on record in Indiana and local fire departments are urging fire safety.
Right now, over 600,000 Indiana residents and 1.7 million Illinois residents are in areas of drought, according to the National Integrated Drought Information System.
Some ways to stay safe are never leaving a fire unattended and this one is also important, do not leave cigarette buts on the ground. Cigarette buts may seem insignificant but can quickly spark a flame on the dry ground.
The Terre Haute Fire Department said to immediately report an unattended or rogue flames.
“We always need to be mindful when we burn things. It’s just especially in the dry conditions that we have with the wind that can pick up and we haven’t had any rain for a very long time, and it unfortunately doesn’t look like we’re going to have much rain in the near future. So, we just urge people to be extra cautious,” said Nick Arnold, Terre Haute Fire Department Public Information Officer.
As Arnold mentioned, there is no rain as of now in the near future, so make sure to be mindful with fire. A spark can quickly catch and spread.
For more information visit Indiana | Drought.gov and Illinois | Drought.gov.
