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Fall Wildfire Season begins Wednesday

With the cooler temperatures on the way, fire officials warn residents to remain vigilant as Fall Wildfire Season in Virginia officially begins Wednesday and continues through Nov. 30.

“Cooler weather means more people doing yard work, which means more brush pile burning,” said Jeff Darr, local forester with the Virginia Department of Forestry. This, with lower humidity and the leaf fall, increases the dangers of wildfires spreading, and more quickly.

Darr said some people may have the dangers of wildfires in the back of their minds since summer fire activity locally was even lower than normal due to the frequency of rain.

He also said the Department of Environmental Quality’s summer burn ban in Gloucester was lifted in September, which mean there are a lot of people who have been waiting all summer to burn, and want to get their work finished as soon as possible.

For those who do burn, Darr said there are some important safety tips to remember. “The most im...

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