Wildfire season peak: Florida Forest Service reminds residents to be alert

Wildfire season begins in Florida

FOX 13's Carla Bayron reports.

TAMPA, Fla. - From Miami-Dade County to the Panhandle, dry and gusty conditions have created the perfect setting for wildfires to spark and, with not much rain lately, it's easy for these fires to grow.

Why you should care:

Over the last week, there have been a handful of wildfires in the Myakka River District, which consists of Manatee, Sarasota, Hardee, Charlotte and DeSoto counties. The Florida Forest Service in the Tampa Bay area is ready to respond to anymore that may pop up.

"The other night, we had a cooking fire that got away," said Patrick Mahoney, the public information officer for the Florida Forest Service Myakka River District. "A lot of growth has happened out in these wooded areas, so we have these homes that sit close to the woods so that's where we get a lot of it from. People do not know our burn laws and how to burn here in Florida, so that causes an issue."

Dig deeper:

Florida's wildfire season is year-round, but it becomes heightened as we enter the dry season.

For more than a week, a large brushfire burned more than 26,000 acres in southern Miami-Dade County, causing significant problems along the only route in and out of the Keys.

"Weed eating. Welding. Anything that creates a spark just be extremely careful with it," said Mahoney.

Mahoney said downed hurricane debris and cold weather also complicates matters. He advises people to help their homes survive a wildfire by mowing the lawn in the mornings when humidity is high, cleaning off their roof and gutters, and removing touching branches from the side of your home.

Drought season typically ends once the rain comes in May and June.

The Source: The information in this story was gathered through an interview with the public information officer for the Florida Forest Service Myakka River District.

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