Burn ban issued for St. George Island

 St George Island Fire Chief Jay Abbott has issued a burn ban effective immediately on St George Island.

The burn ban includes almost all outdoor fires including bonfires, fireworks, trash burning, burning of leaves and debris, and charcoal grills.  

Residents and visitor can use gas grills only until the burn ban has been lifted. 

The ban will remain in effect until further notice.

The action was taken after St. George Island suffered one of the worst wildfires in recent memory last weekend.

The wild fire was started when a resident lost control of a yard trash fire.

It burned nearly 70 acres of woodlands along the Apalachicola Bay.

The last time there was a burn ban in any part of Franklin County was in 2011.

Governor Rick Scott has also issued a statewide state of emergency because of the high number of wildfires currently burning around the state and the high chance of more wildfires in the coming months.

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