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Highlands Today

County Declares Weeklong Burn Ban

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By JIM KONKOLY

Highlands Today

Published: March 18, 2009

SEBRING - A seven-day, countywide burn ban was implemented Tuesday by the Highlands County commissioners.

Without a burn permit from the state Division of Forestry, outdoor burning of any kind, except for charcoal and gas grill cooking, is now prohibited through March 24.

Since Jan. 1, the Florida Division of Forestry has assisted local fire departments in battling 63 wildfires in Highlands County, which consumed about 3,500 acres, said Tim Elder, area supervisor for the Division of Forestry.

That is about double the number of wildfires fought in the county during the same period a year ago, he said.

"Of the 63 (fires), about one-third may have been prevented if we'd had a burn ban in effect," Elder said. He said as many as 20 of the wildfires are suspected of having been started when a backyard burn spread.
Highlands County is extremely susceptible to wildfires now because of dry conditions and the drought, said Tim Eures, the county's director of emergency operations.

The county now averages a score of 734, out of a possible 800, on the Keetch Bryan Drought Index, used by the Division of Forestry to rate the threat of wildfires.

"For anything above 550, we get very concerned," Eures said. "The average in Highlands County is now 734, but some areas are above that.

Michael Wright, county administrator, said he expects the burn ban will be extended next Tuesday for another seven days, the longest it can be imposed, because there appears to be no relief in sight for drought conditions.

"I didn't see any rain in the seven-day forecast," he said.

Though the burn ban prohibits outdoor fires, including those in a barrel with a screen on top, the county ordinance contains no penalty for violating the order, according to Eures.

But, he said, fire departments and his office will extinguish any type of burning prohibited by the ban.

"If we're called to or see a fire with the burn ban in effect, we're going to put the fire out, because we have a responsibility to do that," Eures said. "If there are any issues beyond that, we're going to call on the resources of the Division of Forest to have compliance."

In the past, Eures said, people have complied when told to put a fire out because of a ban on burning.

Highlands Today reporter Jim Konkoly can be reached at 863-386-5855 or e-mail jkonkoly@highlandstoday.com

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