A lack of moisture and gusting winds serves as a reminder for us all to be aware of the danger when fire is added to the mixture.
Bill and Kathy Cunningham of Minnesota camp all across the country. They've been at Mahoney State Park for about five days and haven't had a campfire once.
Too many dead leaves laying around on the ground and it's just not worth it,” Bill Cunningham said.
The Cunninghams are joined by Kathy's brother Mike Hogan of Omaha.
“It wouldn't take much to set off these trees those leaves are so dry,” Hogan said.
Due to a lack of precipitation and increased winds the entire eastern part of Nebraska is ripe for fire to quickly spread
“Some people left yesterday and there was still smoke coming out of their fire pits when they pulled out," Kathy Cunningham said. "So to me, if the danger is this high you shouldn't be doing that, you shouldn't see anything coming out of your fire pits.”
We should always pour some water on a fire to properly extinguish it, stir it and then repeat the process.
“Just the fact the flame goes away doesn't mean the fire's gone,” Hogan said.
Smokers should never just flick a cigarette butt out of the window, especially this time of year. With all this fuel around that can create a huge problem.
“This is dangerous stuff," Bill Cunningham said. "So you've got to watch yourself. You're not only burning your own stuff you're burning everybody else's when something starts."
In areas where open burning is allowed, it is important to check with local authorities to see if a burning ban is in place.
