Drought Creates Conditions for Active Wildfire Season

WKMS | By The Associated Press,

Whitney Jones

Published October 3, 2012 at 7:56 AM CDT

Officials with the Kentucky Division of Forestry say this summer’s lack of rain, along with tornadoes that have knocked down trees have created the conditions for a potentially bad wildfire season. The recent drought has dried out state forests in the Commonwealth, and fallen trees and limbs means there’s plenty of fuel for wildfires. State forester Leah MacSwords says this could lead to an active fire season and be dangerous for firefighters. She says people should take extra precautions and watch out for forest arson, the leading cause of Kentucky’s wildfires. This fall’s fire season began Monday.

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Whitney Jones

Whitney grew up listening to Car Talk to and from her family’s beach vacation each year, but it wasn’t until a friend introduced her to This American Life that radio really grabbed her attention. She is a recent graduate from Union University in Jackson, Tenn., where she studied journalism. When she’s not at WKMS, you can find her working on her backyard compost pile and garden, getting lost on her bicycle or crocheting one massive blanket.

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