Delaware officials are reporting that the ongoing drought and current weather conditions have caused an uptick in wildfires in all three counties. Due to an elevated wildfire risk, the Delaware Forest Service is urging all residents to refrain from outdoor burning.

Last weekend, the National Weather Service, in collaboration with state wildfire supervisors, issued a special weather statement indicating an elevated fire risk due to dropping humidity levels and high winds across the region, including Delaware.

“Most people think of the summer as being the most dangerous time for wildfires, but in Delaware, the period of leaf drop in the fall and right now, when vegetation is dormant, and the fine fuel moisture is low, is when we see the most wildfires,” said State Forester Kyle Hoyd. “This is the worst I have seen for fine fuel issues in my 20 years with the Delaware Forest Service.”

Hoyd said last week, the fire service fought a wildfire where there was crown torching on 30 to 50-foot-high trees. W

Since vegetation is dormant, even with the rain that Delaware experienced last week, the grass, brush, and trees cannot absorb the water that they do later in spring, when green-up and growth occur. This dormancy creates a situation where grass, leaf litter, and pine needles can easily combust.

All of Delaware continues to be impacted by the drought. According to the U.S. Drought Monitor, 46.4% of Delaware is in a moderate drought, with the remaining 53.6% experiencing severe drought conditions.

According to Delaware’s Wildland Fire Supervisor Sam Topper, if the current drought cycle doesn’t break soon, the state will continue to to see an increase in wildfire activity.

From November 2024 through February 2025, Delaware has experienced more than 420 outdoor fires across the state.The Delaware Forest Service engaged in 15 of these incidents. On average, from 2020 to 2023, the Delaware Forest Service responded to five wildfires a year but responded to 22 wildfires in 2024.

Source: Delaware.gov

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Catastrophe
Natural Disasters
Wildfire