IRVINE, Ky. (LEX 18) — Officials in multiple Eastern Kentucky counties are warning people against burning anything outdoors due a heightened risk of wildfires.
LEX 18 was at the scene of one small forest fire on Dry Branch Road in Estill County that Donnie Watson, the county’s judge executive, said could have been much worse had it started hours later in the evening.
That’s when winds are expected to gust more than 40 miles per hour.
“You factor that into a small fire and it’s almost like putting gasoline on it,” Watson said. “When you start a small fire, it can really spread."
On top of the winds, Watson said the ground is as dry as it was last fall when multiple wildfires burned hundreds of acres in the county, one of which threatened the town of Ravenna.
Watson said people shouldn't burn anything outside, adding that people who do could be subject to fined.
If it doesn't rain Tuesday night, Watson said the wildfire risk will just keep growing and they will have quite the problem on their hands.
As for the fire on Dry Branch Road, Watson said he understands that it started with a man burning his mattress, and that man then fell on the mattress. He has burns on half his body, Watson said.
The fire impacted about an acre of forest near the home. Fire crews from the state’s forestry division, Estill County Fire Department, and Hargett Fire Department all were on scene to help put the fire out.
