Kentucky's fall wildfire hazard season begins Wednesday

With the turning of the calendar to October, so begins Kentucky's fall wildfire hazard season.

Now through December 15, the season brings outdoor burning restrictions across the state to help prevent wildfires in Kentucky's 12 million acres of forests.

Under state law, burning is prohibited between 6 a.m. and 6 p.m. within 150 feet of any woodland, brushland or field containing dry grass or flammable materials. 

The Kentucky Division of Forestry warns that this fall could be particularly active. A wet spring fueled heavy vegetation growth, then the ongoing drought in parts of the state has created more dry fuel on the ground for wildfires to spread. 

The division typically responds to 850 to 1,000 wildfires annually. Ninety-nine percent are caused by people, with arson accounting for more than half and debris burning the second leading cause.

The annual restrictions occur every fall, and from February 15 through April 30 in the spring.