Spring is here, and with it comes the usual: Green grass, longer days, warmer temperatures. And every year, at about this time, smoke plumes from controlled burns on the farmland surrounding Powell are a given.Much to the dismay of the Powell Volunteer Fire Department, rural burns lead to a dramatic increase in fire calls. Many of those calls are false alarms that can be prevented if people are thoughtful and vigilant while burning.The fire department asks that people burning on their land notify fire dispatch at 754-8700 or 307-527-8700 before burning, as well as calling them when the fire is out. If the department isn't aware of a burn, they are required to respond if someone calls in that fire. However, if firefighters are aware that a landowner is burning, dispatch knows not to send crews to the site unless it later is reported out of control. Department policy says that firemen will put out any unreported burn, regardless of whether the landowner wants it extinguished. It also goes without saying that fires shouldn't burn unattended, and they should be completely extinguished at the end of the day. Landowners also should check the weather forecast for the planned burn day. A sudden increase in wind speeds can turn a small fire into a major blaze in a hurry.When called to an out-of-control burn, volunteer firefighters are forced to leave their jobs, their families and sometimes their warm beds to take care of the situation. That's what they've signed on to do. But people on the other end need to do their part by heeding the department's requests regarding controlled burns. Farmers and others burning on their land owe it to the firefighters, and to their neighbors, to be as smart and safe as possible when playing with fire. No one should make a volunteer firefighter's job harder than it has to be.

Spring is here, and with it comes the usual: Green grass, longer days, warmer temperatures.

And every year, at about this time, smoke plumes from controlled burns on the farmland surrounding Powell are a given.

Much to the dismay of the Powell Volunteer Fire Department, rural burns lead to a dramatic increase in fire calls.

Many of those calls are false alarms that can be prevented if people are thoughtful and vigilant while burning.

The fire department asks that people burning on their land notify fire dispatch at 754-8700 or 307-527-8700 before burning, as well as calling them when the fire is out. If the department isn't aware of a burn, they are required to respond if someone calls in that fire. However, if firefighters are aware that a landowner is burning, dispatch knows not to send crews to the site unless it later is reported out of control. Department policy says that firemen will put out any unreported burn, regardless of whether the landowner wants it extinguished.

It also goes without saying that fires shouldn't burn unattended, and they should be completely extinguished at the end of the day. Landowners also should check the weather forecast for the planned burn day. A sudden increase in wind speeds can turn a small fire into a major blaze in a hurry.

When called to an out-of-control burn, volunteer firefighters are forced to leave their jobs, their families and sometimes their warm beds to take care of the situation. That's what they've signed on to do. But people on the other end need to do their part by heeding the department's requests regarding controlled burns. Farmers and others burning on their land owe it to the firefighters, and to their neighbors, to be as smart and safe as possible when playing with fire.

No one should make a volunteer firefighter's job harder than it has to be.