Sarasota County burn ban: What residents can do to help prevent major fires in drought conditions

SARASOTA, Fla. - As the weather heats up, the risk for wildfires spreads.

Sarasota County has put a burn ban in effect, banning most outdoor burning. County officials said all outdoor burning is banned, unless you have a permit, or you’re cooking on barbeque grills or pits that do not exceed three feet in diameter and two feet in height.

The county said the ban goes into effect when the drought index reaches or exceeds 500. Florida Forest Service officials said there isn’t much relief on the immediate horizon.

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"Florida has a 12-month fire season, because we have a 12-month growth season," said Patrick Mahoney with the Myakka River District of the Florida Forest Service. "Unlike many other states. So, with that being said, Florida can burn at any time."

Mahoney said this is peak time, with several counties in the Tampa Bay region facing abnormally dry conditions. He said the markers and qualifications for implementing a burn ban typically differ county by county.

"It goes from 0 to 800. Zero is wet," Mahoney said. "Zero is just squishy, wet. Eight hundred is bone dry."

In Manatee and Sarasota counties, Mahoney said the drought index ranges from 472 to 508. He said there are things that everyone in the region should be mindful of, because it doesn’t take much to start a major fire.

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"Anything that causes a spark," Mahoney said. "Mowing, encourage that to be done in the morning, because the humidity’s a little bit higher. Weed eating or anything yard work, do in the morning."

Mahoney said people should also be sure to clear their roofs, gutters and porches of any debris. He also advises against using pine straw.

"Watch where you park," he said. "If you’re parking in tall grass, that catalytic converter can start a fire."

Mahoney said they already saw several small fires start in the Myakka River District, as a result of burning yard debris.

"Over the weekend, we had a couple of small fires where people were burning yard debris and walked away," he said.

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Mahoney said one small ember can travel up to a mile under the right conditions.

"It will go fast," he said. "It will grow very quickly, because of how dry we are, with the winds we’ve been having. That little campfire, that little yard waste fire can turn into a massive fire very quickly."

Mahoney said prescribed burns are extremely important in Florida, because of the conditions year round. He said Florida’s ecosystem depends on fire.

"A wildfire can last days, weeks, months and destroy," he said. "Prescribed fire lasts a day, maybe two, and because of the intensity, it cleans a forest."

In Sarasota County, officials said the burn ban will automatically be lifted when the drought index drops below 500 for seven straight days.

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