By Maria Glod and David Nakamura
Washington Post Staff Writers
Thursday, November 26, 1998; Page D03

Restrictions on outdoor burning begin today in Maryland, as firefighters around the Washington area have struggled this week to contain more than a dozen brush fires.

A fire yesterday in Prince William County forced a high school to close early, and two blazes charred about 29 acres in Anne Arundel County.

An order issued by Maryland Gov. Parris N. Glendening prohibits outdoor burning within 200 feet of wooded areas. Campfires in state parks and on other public land also are banned. Virginia Gov. James S. Gilmore III issued a ban last month prohibiting all open burning.

"We need to stop the fires that are burning our woodlands," said Alan Zentz, a supervisor with Maryland's Department of Natural Resources. "This ban will be in effect until we have sufficient rainfall to get out of this situation."

Maryland officials also urge residents not to burn campfires on private land, and officials in both states ask hunters and campers to show extra care with cigarettes.

This month, 122 brush fires have charred more than 450 acres in Maryland -- three times as many fires and six times as many acres as during the same period last year, Zentz said. On Tuesday, 11 blazes swept through about 170 acres.

Maryland officials said about 40 percent of this month's fires were caused by open burning, while the others have been attributed to arson or are still under investigation.

Virginia firefighters have battled 255 brush fires since Oct. 15, state officials said. A string of blazes this month has followed a fire that devastated 1,360 acres in Shenandoah National Park in late October.

Officials blame the fires on persistent lack of rain, as the Washington area may record its driest summer and fall of this century.

Since July 1, only 5.3 inches of rain has fallen at Reagan National Airport, about 11 inches less than normal for that period, according to the National Weather Service. Although light showers are expected this morning, the precipitation level for the second half of the year could end up being less than the record low of 6.79 inches for the period, which was set during the last six months of 1930, Weather Service officials said.

"It won't be a drought breaker by any means," Weather Service meteorologist Phil Poole said of today's expected rainfall. "It's just kind of a dust mitigator."

In Charles County yesterday, County Commission President Murray D. Levy declared a state of emergency and imposed a seven-day ban on open-air burning. That move followed a 70-acre brush fire in Nanjemoy in western Charles on Tuesday.

Since Monday, Maryland firefighters also have battled brush fires in Anne Arundel, Caroline, Carroll and Washington counties.

In Anne Arundel, firefighters worked round-the-clock and brought in extra personnel to ensure that two brush fires were extinguished. One of the fires burned seven acres in Maryland City on Monday, then was rekindled and burned an additional 13 acres Tuesday.

"It's a lot of ground, and it's hard to find the hot spots and extinguish them," said Anne Arundel Battalion Chief John M. Scholz. "We haven't had significant rainfall since June. The moisture content is so low that the ground is dry, really dry."

Virginia firefighters yesterday were battling a 900-acre blaze in the George Washington National Forest in Augusta County in the Shenandoah Valley and a 104-acre fire in Scott County in the state's southwest.

In Prince William, a small brush fire that broke out Tuesday afternoon across the street from Gar-Field High School in Woodbridge led the school's principal, Roger Dallek, to let out classes early yesterday.

The fire, with flames as high as 10 to 12 feet, scarred about two acres, Dallek said. He said he sent students home at 10 a.m. yesterday because of lingering smoke caused by embers.

Prince William fire officials said the blaze may have been set.

"I didn't want to take a chance," Dallek said. "The fire department is still out there making sure the last ember is doused."

Staff writer Todd Shields contributed to this report.

© Copyright 1998 The Washington Post Company