The Fishers Fire Department answered more than 500 calls for service this June, and the burn ban and firework prohibition will continue until heavy rains hit the region.
Fire Chief Steve Orusa said as the weather conditions continue to deteriorate, risk for major fires increases.
“We’ve got to manage that risk,” he said.
Orusa was part of a county-wide fire chiefs meeting two weeks ago. The Hamilton County chiefs collaborated with the county commissioner to declare an emergency and banned consumer fireworks through the holiday. Orusa said it was left up to each chief to then allow or prohibit professional displays.
Each community presents a different situation. Orusa cites natural resources Conner Prairie (200 acres of land), Richie Woods (44 acres of land), the Hawthorns Golf and Country Club and the IU Saxony area as zones that stand substantial risk to fire if pyrotechnics are employed.
He said if a fire were to start at Conner Prairie there is not enough resources in all of Hamilton County to suppress a disaster of that magnitude, which would exact an emotional toll on the town.
A widespread fire at the Hawthorns could damage million dollar homes, while one at the Saxony development could endanger multiple-family dwellings and the IU Hospital located in the area.
Orusa said the ban and fireworks prohibition was enacted after studying quantitative data provided by various sources that can be found on the Fishers Ready site (fishers.in.us/Ready). He said the most important aspect of the decision-making process was going to each risk area and conducting a risk-benefit analysis of allowing fireworks displays.
But how much rain will it take to drown the burn ban?
Orusa said that question is impossible to answer subjectively, and like the enacting of the ban, requires the analysis of data.
He said, “My hope is we get rain as soon as possible.”