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Town manager warns of statewide moderate drought, outdoor burning ban mirrored locally
Summary
Town Manager Rick told the council that New Hampshire has moved into a statewide moderate drought, described local impacts including suspension of seasonal burning permits and cautioned about lithium‑ion battery safety after recent fires; he also recapped community events and infrastructure updates.
Town Manager Rick used his Oct. 8 manager’s report to alert residents that the state has moved from 'abnormally dry' to 'moderate drought' and that Bedford is included in that designation. He said recent rainfall had not materially improved conditions and that parts of the state will need substantially more rain to return to normal. As a result, the governor has banned outside burning statewide and the town is mirroring that ban; seasonal and some building permits related to outdoor fires are suspended locally.
Rick also recapped a recent three‑alarm fire, thanked mutual aid partners and noted two firefighters were injured but have recovered. He urged residents to recycle lithium‑ion batteries rather than discarding them in household trash and to follow device manufacturers’ charging guidance. The manager described ongoing road millings on South River Road, an upcoming Halloween event at Bedford Village Common (Oct. 23), library and drug‑take back events, and said the Beals Bridge project is slightly behind schedule with crews targeting completion around Thanksgiving.
The manager encouraged residents to complete a town facility survey open through Oct. 17 and promoted local outreach at the transfer station and other town venues.
