Fire Officials Urge Wildfire Caution

SEBRING Highlands County residents parking their cars or mowing on dry, high grass are inadvertently causing wildfires, which have been higher than usual for this time of the year.

Fire officials battled wildfires on a daily basis last month. Since Feb. 3, there have been 29 local wildfires that have accounted for 214 burned acres, according to the Florida Division of Forestry.

The primary culprit has been people.

"Anything that can cause a spark, basically, is what's causing these wildfires," said Melissa Yunas, wildfire mitigation specialist. "All of the wildfires we have responded to recently were caused by people."

Residents parking their cars or mowing on dry, high grass are just a few of the ways these fires have been sparked, according to Yunas. Debris burning, smoking and power lines are others.

February's total wildfires are significantly above the county average. Since 2001, the second month of the year has seen roughly 12 such blazes, Yunas said.

In 2008, the number of February wildfires was 12, while the corresponding month in 2007 had 20.

Human error and significant drought have played a part in this February's high number of fires. Yunas said there was only .45 inches of rainfall in the past month.

The current drought index for Highlands County is 715. Hendry County has the highest in the state at 719.

Wildfire officials are concerned that February's numbers are going to be the start of an active year, as Highlands County generally experiences the greatest number of fires in April, May and June due to lightning, according to a press release.

"We are asking residents to take additional precautions to help prevent wildfires by never leaving a campfire unattended, disposing of cigarettes properly and making sure all vehicles and equipment have properly working spark arresters," Yunas said.