When the Grass Goes Brown: Fire-Safe Habits for a Late-Summer Dry Spell

Late summer in New England sometimes brings weeks with little rain. Lawns turn tan, garden beds crack and the mulch around trees and foundations dries out until it crunches underfoot. Most people notice the brown grass and worry about their tomatoes. Fewer think about fire. Yet dry conditions make outdoor fires easier to start and quicker to spread, even in the middle of a city.

Brush fires along highways, mulch fires against apartment buildings and grass fires in parks are all familiar late-summer calls for fire departments. Many begin with something small: a carelessly tossed cigarette, hot charcoal dumped too soon or a spark from a tool. This guide covers simple habits households and neighbors can practice during a dry spell.

Know When Conditions Are Risky

Fire risk rises when several factors line up. Watch for:

• Several days or weeks with little or no rain
• Low humidity and steady wind
• Brown, brittle grass and leaves
• Dry, fluffy mulch near buildings
• Local news reports of brush fires or elevated fire danger

When conditions look like this, take extra care with anything that produces heat, sparks or flame outdoors.

Mulch: The Fire Hazard Next to the Front Door

Mulch is wonderful for gardens, but dry mulch can smolder for hours before anyone notices flames. Mulch fires often start when a lit cigarette is dropped into a planting bed, and they can spread to siding, decks and porches.

• Keep mulch beds next to buildings moist during dry weather, or leave a gap between mulch and the foundation.
• Consider stone or gravel in the strip closest to the building.
• Never discard smoking materials in mulch, planters or potted plants.
• If smokers live in or visit your building, provide a sturdy metal container with sand for butts.
• If you smell smoke or see a wisp rising from a mulch bed, call 911. Smoldering mulch can flare up quickly.

Grilling Safely in Dry Weather

Late August cookouts are a New England tradition. In dry conditions, a few precautions matter even more.

• Set grills on a stable, level surface well away from siding, railings, fences, overhanging branches and dry grass.
• Never grill on porches or balconies where it is not allowed, and follow your building’s rules.
• Keep children and pets at a safe distance.
• Never leave a lit grill unattended.
• Keep a hose, bucket of water or fire extinguisher nearby.

Handling Charcoal Ash

Charcoal can stay hot long after the cooking is over. Dumping coals into a trash can, a paper bag or onto the lawn is a common cause of fires.

1. Let coals burn down completely.
2. Soak the coals and ash thoroughly with water, stirring to make sure every piece is wet.
3. Transfer the cooled ash to a metal container with a tight lid.
4. Keep that container away from the house, deck and anything that can burn.
5. Wait until the ash is completely cold before disposing of it according to local rules.

Know the Rules on Outdoor Burning and Fireworks

In Massachusetts, open burning of brush is allowed only during a limited season in the late winter and spring, only in communities that permit it and only with a permit. Many cities, including Boston, do not allow it at all. Burning leaves, brush or trash in late summer is not permitted. Consumer fireworks, including sparklers, are illegal for private use in Massachusetts and can easily ignite dry grass.

Fire pits and chimineas may be subject to local rules as well, so check with your fire department before using one, and skip it entirely when conditions are very dry.

Tools and Equipment That Spark

Not all outdoor fires come from flames. Sparks and hot surfaces can ignite dry vegetation too.

• Avoid running mowers, trimmers or saws over dry grass in the heat of the afternoon, when a blade striking a rock can throw sparks.
• Never park a car or set down a hot engine tool on tall dry grass, since hot exhaust parts can ignite it.
• Refuel gas-powered equipment only after it has cooled, and away from dry vegetation.
• Store gasoline in approved containers away from the house.

Water Wisely While Staying Safe

Dry spells often bring water-use restrictions. Follow any limits your city or water supplier sets, since they help protect water supplies for drinking and firefighting. Within those limits, focus water where it matters most for safety, such as mulch beds against buildings. If you collect rainwater in a barrel, keep the lid and screen secure to prevent mosquitoes and use the stored water on planting beds during dry weeks.

Looking Out for the Whole Block

Fire safety is a neighborhood effort. A few small actions help:

• Clear dry leaves and litter from shared alleys, back stairs and building corners.
• Let a building manager know if you see a pile of dry debris or a mulch bed used as an ashtray.
• Remind guests at gatherings where to put cigarette butts and charcoal ash.
• Check on older neighbors who may need help clearing debris or moving a grill away from the house.
• Report hazards that are not emergencies, such as an overgrown vacant lot full of dry brush, to 311.

If a Fire Starts

Call 911 right away, even if the fire looks small. Grass and mulch fires can spread faster than people expect, especially in wind. Get people and pets away from the area, and do not try to fight anything beyond a very small fire you can safely put out with water or an extinguisher. Firefighters would much rather arrive at a fire that turns out to be tiny than at one that has reached a porch.

Dry Spell Fire Safety Checklist

• Mulch beds near buildings kept moist or separated from siding
• Metal container with sand provided for smoking materials
• Grills placed well away from structures and dry grass
• Charcoal soaked and stored in a lidded metal can
• No open burning or consumer fireworks
• Outdoor power equipment used carefully
• Water restrictions followed
• Neighbors reminded and hazards reported

A dry spell eventually ends with a soaking rain. Until then, a few careful habits keep brown lawns from becoming something worse and help the whole neighborhood make it safely to the cooler days of fall.