Wildfire hazards increase across area

A dispatch went out at about noon Tuesday about a brush fire close to a house in the 1500 block of Lake Josephine Drive.

As it turned out, it was someone's unattended burn pile behind a residential home.

That's not a good idea any time of the year, said Leisure Lakes Volunteer Fire Department Chief Danny Holmes on Tuesday. His department was dispatched to the fire call.

Leaving an unattended burn can have dangerous, expensive, and even deadly repercussions, he agreed.

"As dry as it is right now it's very important that people don't leave small fires unattended," said Holmes. "That's how they become large fires."

Holmes said his department was able to extinguish the fire with water, using the fire hose on a small brush truck.

"You're supposed to burn in a pit or a barrel and you're supposed to have a screen over it so the embers don't blow," he said.

This fire was in a pit, but there was no screen present.

Holmes said he lives nearby and recalled seeing someone burning there on Sunday. Neighbors said no one has been at the house since Sunday, he said.

According to Charles Andrews, Highlands County Fire Services supervisor, uncontrolled fires put people in harm's way.

"One of the things I like to stress is it puts firefighters as well as the general public at risk when we get out on the road with our lights and sirens on," said Andrews.

November to April marks the dry season for Glades and Highlands counties, said Melissa Yunas, wildfire mitigation specialist with the Florida Division of Forestry.

"With the lack of substantial rainfall from the past couple of weeks, Glades and Highlands counties have become one of the driest areas in the state of Florida," said Yunas.

The Keetch-Byram Drought Index indicated an average of 612 (on a scale from 0 - 800) - which is above normal for this time of year - with 800 being the driest, she said.

"The normal range for this time of year is 271-420," she said.

Florida's wildfire season is 12 months long, said Yunas.

"We have fires throughout the year, but our most active part of the year is typically December through the beginning of June," she said. "Florida experiences the greatest number of wildfires during April, May and June during the wet season with lightning ignitions.

The No. 1 wildfire cause in Florida is people during the dry season, she said.

"The Florida Division of Forestry is asking everyone to be cautious and use common sense when it comes to using anything to can cause a spark," Yunas said. "The grass and underbrush is dry and can ignite easily. Remember, Only You Can Prevent Wildfires."

The Division of Forestry announced Tuesday that it will begin its wildfire reduction projects to protect residents and property in Highlands County.

A forestry task force will be working in Highlands County during the next few weeks on projects to reduce the fire threat in selected areas of the county, according to the division's news release. "Their job is to rotate among 18 South Florida counties and work on projects to reduce the wildfire risk."

The team is working on projects in Sun 'n Lakes, Sebring Hills and Avon Park Estates until Dec. 3.

By establishing firebreaks in and around communities, the wildfires may be suppressed easier. Both structural and wildland firefighters may safely defend the residential area by using the fire breaks as roads.

The Florida Division of Forestry has responded to six wildfires in Highlands County since Nov. 1, Yunas wrote.

"Homeowners who live in medium-to-high wildfire-risk areas need to apply National 'Firewise' principals to their home," wrote Yunas. "There are simple things that may save your home and protect a firefighter from risking his life. Together we can make a difference."

It is important to keep the roof free of debris and gutters clean as well as pruning tree limbs, keeping firewood and combustible materials stored away from the home, having a defensible space around the home and to create a family fire plan.