NH Drought Stops Yearly E/A Bonfire

The Exeter Fire Department (EFD) has placed the Town of Exeter under a fire ban and prohibited the Academy from holding its traditional bonfire at this year’s Fall Exeter/Andover (E/a) Pep Rally due to the ongoing drought in southern New Hampshire,. In light of the extreme dry conditions, all fire permits have been revoked and no new ones will be issued until conditions improve, according to Brian Comeau, Chief of the EFD and Town Forest Warden.

Comeau, who is responsible for issuing fire permits to Exeter residents, explained that the permit for the Academy’s annual bonfire is issued as a “per-event type permit” and lasts for only 24 hours. In past years, the bonfire has been cancelled because of weather conditions, including high winds that could result in the fire spread to other properties. In other cases, the EFD has made the last-minute decision based on wind speed to remain on-site with an engine to pump water from the Exeter River. Due to the removal of the dam in the river and the low water levels that have ensued, this is no longer a possibility.

“Removal of the dam poses a number of problems for the Fire Department and the town,” Comeau explained. “To maintain good fire protection and conserve water is a balancing act. Not issuing burning permits helps limit the possibility of accidental fires that use water resources.”

Environmental Health and Safety Manager Tegan Vassillion drew attention to the dangers associated with having a bonfire, given these restricting factors. Noting the high risk of fire spread and the limited available resources to put the fire out in the case of emergency, Vassillion emphasized that “the decision to cancel the bonfire was made strictly for safety reasons.” She said, “As much as we would all like to see the tradition continue this year, mother nature is not acting in our favor and the safety of the students and the community that we live in must come first.”

“As much as we would all like to see the tradition continue this year, mother nature is not acting in our favor and the safety of the students and the community that we live in must come first.”

Nevertheless, many students have expressed disappointment following the decision. Senior Alex Rothstein explained that she will miss how the bonfire “brought our school together in warmth and in spirit… [A]fter being here for almost four years now, I’m genuinely upset I can’t end my E/a fall tradition with the bonfire.”

Lower Kate Denny described the bonfire as the best part of the pep rally. “We’re all together and it’s kind of just a wonderful moment,” she said. Similarly, upper Michael Bamah felt that the bonfire helped bring the community together and that without it, “that same community aspect won’t be here this year.”

Upper Renaud recalled the bonfire to be “a big school spirit booster,” and expressed concern that school spirit might be diminished this year as a result. “[T]here’s something special about a huge fire and tons of people surrounding it...I’m very disappointed that it won’t be happening,” he said. However, other students maintained greater optimism. Though senior Bonnie LaBonté felt “sort of disappointed,” she pointed out that E/a is such a fun time already that the absence of the bonfire would take little away from the overall experience. “As much as I love the bonfire, not much happens at it so I don’t think it will really affect the pep rally,” she said. Like LaBonté, senior Graham Rutledge explained that when people are cheering at games the following day, the lack of a bonfire would be “the last things on their minds.”

Lower Tara Weil recognized the importance of prioritizing student safety and felt that if the absence of a bonfire posed a great threat to school spirit, it would be more indicative of the school’s culture in general. “If your school pride can be threatened by not having a bonfire then there’s an issue,” she said. 

Though senior Bella Edo, a co-head of Student Council’s Recreation Committee, recognized that the lack of a bonfire will feel odd, she revealed that her committee is in the early stages of  developing ideas for other events to replace the bonfire. She suggested that one such possibility could be a powderpuff football game, although the idea has not yet been brought to Student Council. “It might be new and exciting enough to take people’s minds off of [the absence of] the bonfire,” Edo said.

Even amidst their varying degrees of disappointment, most students recognized that the decision was both logical and necessary. Though senior Yoshiko Lynch felt that not having a bonfire “ruins the tradition,” she acknowledged the good in saving water and preventing a forest fire. Upper Anzi DeBenedetto also believed that the school should not waste water, especially “if it wants to be a good neighbor to the town of Exeter.”

Though Vassillion reserved hope that a significant amount of rainfall in the next month could reverse the decision, she recognized that “the chances of this happening are slim.”

Campus Safety will work closely with the EFD to continue monitoring the situation, but Comeau noted that, with the extreme drought conditions that Exeter has experienced, the fire ban could be in effect well into the spring.