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Highlands Today

County burn ban extended into fourth week

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Highlands Today

Published: April 9, 2009

SEBRING - With blustery winds forecast to continue through this week, the Highlands County commissioners voted Tuesday to extend the county-wide burn ban into its fourth week.

All types of outdoor fires, except charcoal or gas grill cooking, remain illegal, unless a permit is obtained from the Florida Department of Forestry.

Recent rainfalls have not taken away the threat of wildfires, according to Bill Nichols, the county's emergency operations manager.
Highlands County this week scored 711, out of a possible rating of 800, on the Keetch Byram Drought Index. That is down only slightly from scores near 740 over the previous two weeks.

Any score on the drought index above 550 indicates a potential threat of wildfires, according to Tim Eures, county emergency operations director.

Nichols also advised the commissioners to extend the burn ban another seven days, to April 14, because the blustery winds also increase the risk of wildfires.

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