Auburn firefighter James Bradley hoses down hot spots at a woods fire in Turner in April 2020. This week many fire departments across the state suspended burn permits after the Maine Forest Service advised fire risk was high across the state. Most of the state is abnormally dry, according to the U.S. Drought Monitor. Russ Dillingham/Sun Journal file

Many fire departments suspended burn permits this week after the Maine Forest Service advised fire risk was high across the state.

Most of the state is abnormally dry, according to the U.S. Drought Monitor, and much of the eastern part of the state is in a moderate drought. That lack of precipitation, in combination with high wind gusts, fallen leaves and drying grass, causes fire risk to surge.

More than a dozen brush fires have been reported across the state in the past two weeks. A house fire spread into the woods briefly Monday in Winslow, a downed wire led to a brush fire in St. Albans and more than five acres burned in Buckfield over the weekend.

Pittston Fire Chief Josh Johnson was one of many to stop issuing burn permits when the state forestry service moved fire risk to “high” on Monday. He said this time of year normally causes fire risk to increase and for burn permits to be paused with dry, dead foliage covering the ground.

“It’s pretty common that, this time of year, we don’t issue burn permits for a bit,” he said.

Fire departments are one of three places Maine residents can receive burn permits — both the state and the West Gardiner-based Warden’s Report offer burn permit applications online. When the Maine Forest Service moves a region’s fire risk to “High,” the third-highest risk level, both the state and Warden’s Report immediately shut off applications.

Any open burning of brush piles, wood debris and agricultural burns larger than 3 feet wide and tall requires a burn permit, and even already-issued permits are no longer valid once fire risk is high.

Tuesday’s fire risk was lowered to “moderate,” allowing burn permits to go back into effect and for the state to begin issuing new burn permits. The Maine Forest Service updates the rating every morning before 9 a.m.

When the risk levels increase, Johnson said, fire departments prepare for the likelihood of brush fires and often respond to residents burning foliage anyway.

“There’s always a handful of the community that don’t realize the state requires permits for any open burning,” Johnson said.

Dead foliage can easily ignite — without any water to burn off, all of the plant’s heating energy can be used to fuel the fire. Generally, according to the National Weather Service, moisture levels of small foliage below 30% are considered dead and will respond solely to the environmental conditions around them. The Maine Forest Service measured moisture levels between 12%-20% in Augusta foliage Tuesday morning.

Usually, Johnson said, the permits are available again once the area receives significant rain or snow. According to the most recent forecasts, the National Weather Service in Gray predicts rain from about 8 p.m. Tuesday to 1 p.m. Wednesday, amounting to between about .2 and .4 inches — a small dent in central Maine’s approximately 2.7-inch precipitation deficit compared to an average October.

While predictions for the next eight to 14 days show temperatures above normal and precipitation at or near normal levels, the National Weather Service in Gray posted on Facebook late last week that the area experiencing drought will likely increase without a soaking rainfall.