MARLBOROUGH, Conn. — With the dry weather we’ve had this summer, we’re currently at an elevated risk for forest fires.
Luckily we’ve gotten some rain over the past couple days, but it has still been a particularly dry season.
Last month, fire crews in Thompson had battled a forest fire due to the dry conditions.
On Tuesday morning, The Department of Energy and Environmental Protection (DEEP) will be giving a demonstration on how they were able to use drones to help fight this forest fire.
They will also be talking about precautions you can take to help to try and prevent the start of any kind of fire.
Earlier this summer, local fire crews went out to California to help fight fires there but now the focus turns to the elevated fire risk here.
That demonstration happening at 11 a.m.
Currently, most of Connecticut is facing some kind of drought with the majority facing "abnormally dry" conditions, while other parts of the state face "moderate drought" conditions.
What can you do to help conserve water?
Here are only a few of the many suggestions DEEP says you can do:
- Do not let the water run while shaving or brushing teeth.
- Take short showers instead of tub baths. Turn off the water flow while soaping or shampooing.
- If you must use a tub, close the drain before turning on the water and fill the tub only half full. Bathe small children together.
- Never pour water down the drain when there may be another use for it -such as watering a plant or garden.
- Keep drinking water in the refrigerator instead of letting the faucet run until the water is cool.
- Wash fruits and vegetables in a basin. Use a vegetable brush.
- Do not use water to defrost frozen foods, thaw in the refrigerator overnight.
- Use a dishpan for washing and rinsing dishes.
- Scrape, rather than rinse, dishes before loading into the dishwasher.
- Add food wastes to your compost pile instead of using the garbage disposal
- Operate the dishwasher only when completely full.
- Repair all leaks. A leaky toilet can waste 200 gallons per day. To detect leaks in the toilet, add food coloring to the tank water. If the colored water appears in the bowl, the toilet is leaking. Toilet repair advice is available at www.toiletology.com/index.shtml.