Last hurricane season sparks dangerous 2019 fire season

Florida's Wildfire Awareness Week promote rules for burning

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – The threat of wildfires in north Florida is 10 times higher than normal due to the abundance of downed trees in Hurricane Michael’s wake.

Officials said 72 million tons of dead tree debris from the storm provides the fuel to boost the scale of wildfires beyond a typical blaze. 

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Already this spring a 600-plus acres fire broke out near Panama City which could have been contained to three or four acres had tree debris not interfered to firefighters response.

This fire was triggered by an escaped yard burn, which is the leading cause of fires this time of year along with unauthorized debris burns.

This is Florida’s Wildfire Awareness Week, marking the start of when conditions typically get drier through June. Relief tends to come in July once the afternoon thunderstorm cycle picks up.

Since January, 489 wildfires have burned more than 7,360 acres in Florida. Most were caused by people.

The Florida Forest Service who administers Florida's outdoor burning laws wants you to know that no trash can be burned, including paper in yard fires.

Only yard waste in piles smaller than 8 feet in diameter can be burned without authorization as long as residents meet the following requirements: 

  • Meet the required setbacks and no local, city or county ordinances prohibit burning;
  • The yard waste was generated on your property and will fit in an 8-foot diameter pile or non-combustible container;
  • The fire is ignited after 8 a.m. central time or 9 a.m. eastern time and is extinguished one hour before sunset.

It is illegal to burn household garbage (including paper products), treated lumber, plastics, rubber materials, tires, pesticides, paint and aerosol containers.


About the Author:

After covering the weather from every corner of Florida and doing marine research in the Gulf, Mark Collins settled in Jacksonville to forecast weather for The First Coast.