Around 10 acres of brush and woods burned in Loudon over the weekend as a continued spell of unseasonably dry and warm weather raises the risk of wildfires throughout the state.
Nobody was injured and no buildings were damaged in the blaze, which happened in the area of Berry, Range and Old Shaker Roads, according to an announcement from the Loudon Fire Department. Several fire departments and the N.H. Division of Forests and Lands sent personnel and equipment to fight it because, the announcement said, “Staffing and weather conditions are presenting challenges.”
Fire crews left the scene Sunday afternoon when the blaze was under control. Some returned with rangers from the NH Forest Protection Bureau on Monday, checking for hot spots in the underbrush that could reignite, according to Loudon Fire’s Facebook page.
Most of New Hampshire has not had significant rainfall for close to two weeks and is well below average for precipitation over the past 14 months. As a result, there is little moisture in the ground, and leaves which have fallen this autumn are dry, providing ample fuel for fires.
The N.H. Division of Forests and Lands now rates the risk of wildfire as “high” throughout the state and much of Northern New England. Fire risk often rises in autumn after leaves fall because sunlight can make it to the ground, drying out material.
No precipitation is expected for at least several days.
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