JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – City officials warned Friday that Jacksonville is facing unusually high wildfire risk after a dry winter and urged residents to take immediate steps to protect homes and property.
RELATED: Wildfire threat remains elevated amid ongoing drought
Mayor Donna Deegan and Jacksonville Fire Rescue Department Chief Percy Golden II held a press conference to address the conditions.
“As many of you are aware, Jacksonville is facing wildfire conditions this year that we don’t often see. The data is very telling,” Deegan said. “We have had ten times as many wildfires this January as we did last January. And those fires have burned nearly 50 times more acreage.”
Deegan said the city is coordinating prevention and response with the JFRD, the Florida Forest Service and the National Weather Service, and has support from the state under Executive Order 2633.
“This is no longer time for business as usual,” she said. “So I’m asking every Jacksonville resident to take this threat seriously. Sign up for alerts. Take the time to clear vegetation around your home. Use caution with anything that could cause fire outdoors. And if you see a fire, call 911 immediately.”
Golden II said the department has seen a sharp increase in wildfires.
“So far this year, JFRD has responded to 29 wildfire incidents compared to 13 from the same period last year,” he said.
He noted the department maintains nine brush trucks specially designed for wildland firefighting and stressed the danger where homes meet wild lands.
“These are the highest areas of concern,” Golden said. “The condition of this severe drought, the vegetation and any ignition source, creates the potential for fire that will rapidly spread.” He urged residents to “clear vegetation around your home at least 30 feet” and to avoid parking vehicles on dry grass or using spark-producing equipment in windy conditions.
Mike Work, a Florida Forest Service representative, said the agency has responded to more fires this year and is ready to support local efforts.
“We are currently up to 11 fires right now, up to 50 acres,” he said.
Work attributed the increase to dried and cured fuels from lack of rainfall and recent freezes. He noted the agency has tractor-plowing units, Type 6 engines and aviation resources available to assist.
Ben Nelson of the National Weather Service in Jacksonville warned forecasts through the spring are unlikely to bring significant relief.
“Unfortunately, the forecast heading into the spring months for our area is not favorable for significant rainfall,” he said. “The National Drought Monitor now places us in an extreme drought. We have not seen this type of drought in our area since May of 2012.”
He cautioned that windy days could “exacerbate the spread of any wildfires” that develop.
Andre Ayoub, chief of the city’s emergency preparedness division, said year-round readiness matters.
“Preparedness matters. Preparedness. Not just something we talk about during hurricane season,” he said.
He encouraged residents to sign up for city alerts, keep a go-bag and plan evacuation routes.
Officials reminded residents that outdoor burning is prohibited without a permit in Duval County.
“If you don’t have a burn permit, don’t burn,” Deegan said.
She urged residents to remove their yard debris rather than burn it.
The officials said the goal of the briefing was to inform, not alarm, and asked media partners to help educate the public about simple steps that reduce wildfire risk.
“We want everybody to be informed and stay Jax ready,” Ayoub said.