SEMINOLE COUNTY, Fla. – Flagler and Volusia have joined the list of Central Florida counties that have issued burn bans as wildfires remain a risk with near-record heat expected through the weekend.
A Florida statute allows Flagler County to declare a state of local emergency for seven-day durations and to extend them in seven-day intervals.
“The conditions are becoming favorable for rapid fire growth so this action will help,” said Flagler County Fire Rescue Chief Michael Tucker. “In addition to the ban on burning, remember that a good offense is the best defense. Clear the area around your house of anything that will go up in flames easily – including stacks of firewood, portable propane tanks, and dead, dry vegetation.
In Seminole County, a countywide ban prohibits all outdoor burning that has not been permitted by the Florida Forest Service: bonfires, campfires and the burning of yard debris.
Above-ground charcoal, gas, and electric grills are permitted for use, but residents are urged to make sure charcoals are extinguished after completion of grilling and should avoid using outdoor cooking methods if near heavily wooded areas. Barrel-type barbecue smokers are also allowed.
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The burn ban remains in effect until the Keetch-Byram Drought Index dips below 500 for seven consecutive days or until further notice. Violators can be fined up to $500 or jailed for no more than 60 days.
Seminole County Emergency Manager, Alan Harris, said they’ve seen quite a few wildfires in Seminole County over the last few weeks.
“We really need those to stop because some of them have gotten really close to homes,” Harris said. “We want to make sure that we don’t get those into structures or endanger lives or have to close a roadway because fire is jumping across a roadway.”
Harris said right now in Seminole County if lightning strikes during a storm, a wildfire could start while it’s raining. Similar to what happened at the Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge in Brevard County, which remains under a burn ban. Officials said that the fire was caused by a lightning strike while Brevard County was under a severe thunderstorm warning.
This just occurred in Brevard County not too long ago,” Harris said. “So we want to make sure that we protect ourselves here in Seminole County.”
Other areas in Central Florida under a ban include unincorporated Osceola County and Volusia County.
News 6 Meteorologist Samara Cokinos told us more about how the weather conditions impact the fire risk.
“Without, you know, daily rain that we get in the summertime where we don’t see where we’re in that deficit, that rainfall deficit, what we end up seeing are really dry conditions,” Samara said.
Samara said low humidity levels are also playing a part in an increased fire risk.
“When you have relative humidity levels, when they go really, really low, that’s actually a bad thing,” Samara said. “So because all it takes is one little spark from somebody burning, you know, some debris in their yard and it just will spread like literally a wildfire because of all the dry vegetation. So we need those relative humidity levels to go up in order for that wildfire threat to go down.”
The city of Palm Bay enacted its own burn ban on May 10 until further notice after several recent fires in the area.
A burn ban warning prohibits all outdoor burning to prevent accidental and preventable wildfires.
According to Seminole County’s website, during a burn ban you are asked:
- Do not use campfires, fire pits, or fire pit grills
- Do not cook outdoors in close proximity to heavily wooded areas
- Do not burn trash or anything on the ground
- Above-ground charcoal, gas, and electric grills are OK to use
- Clear dead vegetation from your yard and gutters
- Call 911 if you see smoke or fire in your area
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