It's been rare for several weeks now to see a warning of severe weather. So it may have seemed a bit strange when the National Weather Service issued a couple under bright, sunny skies earlier this week, including through the Times text-alert system.
The hazard wasn't an approaching storm. It was for the continuing dry, windy conditions that pose a significant risk of fire. And they are warnings — such as Mayor Carolyn Kirk's shutdown of Gloucester's Dogtown and other public woods — that are not to be taken lightly.
If you're working anywhere with fire, from outdoor cooking to any other burning, take extra care this spring. The danger is very, very real.
