The past couple of days we’ve seen multiple wildfires spur from cooking and warming fires. Normally, most fires that have any significance to them occur in the heat of the day when humidity is at its lowest and temperatures are high. But these fires are now spreading quickly, even at night.
Based on weather conditions, officials with the Florida Forest Service’s Chipola Forestry Center will not be issuing authorizations for acreage burns and are urging caution with recreational fires. It’s been a while since we’ve seen any rain, and although some areas may be seeing showers, it’s not enough. The drying trend continues and fire danger will steadily increase until the area receives an appreciable amount of rain.
While there are no burn bans in place for Bay, Calhoun, Gulf, Holmes, Jackson, Walton and Washington counties, the FFS urges residents not to burn yard debris and exercise caution when partaking in outdoor activities such as having camp fires and grilling. A few tips for the public to remember, never leave a fire or heat source unattended and completely extinguish until it’s cold. Avoid burning on windy days and keep a water source and a suppression tool, like a shovel, on hand. If your fires don’t meet setbacks or if it escapes, you could be issued a Notice of Violation and possibly incur suppression charges. These charges can range from a couple hundred dollars to thousands.
Each year in Florida there are hundreds of wildfires caused by carelessness; preventing them is the responsibility of everyone. To report a wildfire or suspicious smoke, call the Chipola Forestry Center Dispatch at (850) 373-1801.
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