Rainfall Dampens Fire Chief's Concerns
Barrington Fire Chief Gerald Bessette said reports of near-drought conditions seem misplaced given the recent wet weather, but brush fires are always an issue.
Barrington Fire Chief Gerald Bessette said he is not too concerned about reports of so-called near-drought conditions in Rhode Island, which could spark brush fires like the one almost two weeks on the Swansea-Barrington line. “It’s not a particular concern,” said Bessette. “I think we’re only a couple of inches short of normal rainfall now.” "You can always have a brush fire," Bessette said, drought or not. But rains that have soaked the area over the past week or so definitely lower the risk. Bessette said he did read of some lingering concern about a drought by the executive director of the Bristol County Water Authority, Pamela Marchand, who also serves on the Water Resources Board. See story in the Barrington Times. Marchand did say …
