Statewide drought deepens, burn ban continues

The Maryland Department of the Environment is issuing drought watches and warnings across the state and urging residents and businesses to reduce water usage when possible.

This follows six months of lower-than-average rainfall and virtually no rain this autumn. No state-issued mandatory water restrictions are in place at this time.

“We’ve had a very dry year overall, and monitoring shows an impact on water availability statewide,” Maryland Department of the Environment Secretary Serena McIlwain said in a release. “While there is no immediate water shortage, we encourage residents and businesses to use water wisely as we continue to monitor the situation.”

There is a statewide burn ban in effect since Nov. 1.

On the Eastern Shore, a drought warning is in effect based on monitoring that shows lower-than-normal precipitation, stream flows and groundwater levels in shallow aquifers.

Although most domestic wells in the region are deep enough to avoid any impacts, there could be impacts to shallower wells.

Despite some much-needed rain recently, the burn ban remains in effect for all of Maryland.

On Nov. 6 around 2:30 p.m., Waldorf Company 3 was dispatched to the area of Slater Lane, off Poplar Hill Road, to investigate the report of smoke.

Upon arrival, it was determined this was a large area brush fire and additional resources were requested, according to a release from the Waldorf Volunteer Fire Department.

The brush fire was indicative of the larger problem at hand — a drought that brought some of the driest weather that the region has seen within 130 years.

“While most of the state experienced varying amounts of rain earlier this week, fuel and drought conditions continue to be well above normal seasonal highs,” a release from the Maryland Department of Natural Resources said last week. “These conditions coupled with low humidity and gusty winds expected in the next several days will once again raise fire danger across the state.”

A return to normal seasonal patterns with cooler temperatures and frequent showers will be needed to lift the burn ban, the department said.

“We do not make these determinations lightly and understand this may require some people to adjust their plans,” Department of Natural Resources Secretary Josh Kurtz said. “However, a ban of this magnitude is necessary to protect the lives and property of Maryland residents and visitors, as well as the state’s natural resources.”

Since Oct. 1, Maryland Department of Natural Resources units and partner agencies have responded to 50 wildland fires in the state that burned an estimated 117.8 acres of land.

As of Nov. 12, five of those fires are contained and actively staffed, 15 are contained and monitored by patrol, and 30 are out.

According to the National Integrated Drought Information System, a program under the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, 3.1 million residents of Maryland are in areas of drought.

That is roughly half the population of the state, according to census data.

Other states in the mid-Atlantic region are experiencing wildfires, according to DNR. One such blaze near the border of New York and New Jersey has burned roughly 3,500 acres as of Nov. 12, underscoring the importance of Maryland’s burn ban.