Brush Fires Rampant; Governor Hints at Drought Declaration

Brown grass and farm fields are dominating the landscape as farmers across the mid-Atlantic are praying for rain.

The local forecast in St. Mary’s County calls for a chance of thundershowers everyday this week, as it did last week. The violent thunderstorm that plowed through last week only hit spotted areas.

The U.S. Drought Monitor, an association funded by the USDA and NOAA released information last week showing Maryland is experiencing drought conditions as part of a larger mid-Atlantic drought.

The Drought Monitor map released July 19 shows all of Maryland in a “moderate drought”, but  Charles, Calvert and St. Mary’s counties are shown in the “severe drought” range.

Maryland Gov. Martin O’Malley visited Solomon’s Island last week to speak at the annual Association of Soil Conservation Districts meeting.

Drought conditions were already being experienced in Southern Maryland when O’Malley spoke of the importance of conservation and environmental awareness during his speech July 18.

“We are preparing for the really strong possibility, probability of making that declaration,” the governor said while talking about the lack of rainfall.

Volunteer firefighters in Southern Maryland don’t need a declaration to know a drought has settled in.

In St. Mary’s County alone, firefighters responded to nearly 40 brush fires in July, with four occurring each day on July 10, 12, 14 and 19. One of the fires took six hours to fully contain. Early in the month, St. Mary’s volunteers traveled to Hughesville to help Charles County knock down a woods fire.