According to the National Fire Protection Association, fire departments respond to an average 334,200 brush, grass, and forest fires each year. David Manning, assistant fire chief for the Paint Creek Joint EMS & Fire District, urges people to know the rules when it comes to burning.
"In Ohio, you're only supposed to burn what falls from a tree," said Manning. "Basically, leaves, limbs, stuff like that in small quantities."
Additionally, he said you should notify the sheriff's office and fire department if you plan to burn.
"So everyone's on the same page and we all know," said Manning. "Instead of getting that cell phone call from somebody that doesn't realize that you're burning and calls and has all the fire trucks dispatched to your house or your farm; anything we can get to reduce our responses like that so we can stay available for the calls where we're really needed."