Very dry air and the ongoing drought here in Schuylkill County have prompted National Weather Service to issue a Special Weather Statement on the risk of fire Saturday.
Relative humidity levels could drop as low as 20% today. There is zero chance of rain on Saturday in Schuylkill County.
These conditions elevate the risk of brush fires.
Firefighters remain at the scene of a large brush fire that ignited on Saturday night in Cass Township. During that incident, a smaller brush fire was also reported in Butler Township.
Brush fires were also being fought in Columbia and Berks counties on Friday as very dry conditions along with steady and gusting winds fueled flames.
On Saturday, a light wind is expected to die off throughout the day.
Rain is in the forecast for Sunday night. Right now, National Weather Service predicts a 100% chance of rain Sunday night for Schuylkill County. Up to a half-inch of rain is possible.
It’s been since late-September since Schuylkill County has received a quarter-inch of rain and it was more than a month prior to that since we received another quarter-inch of rain. So, a half-inch of rain won’t do much to put a dent in drought conditions.
People are being cautioned about handling any ignition sources where there’s an elevated risk of fire. Machinery, cigarettes, and matches are ignition sources. If they come in contact with any dry grasses or brush, any resulting fire could spread rapidly.
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