JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – Despite seeing thunderstorms on Sunday, the rain barely made a dent in the drought across Northeast Florida and Southeast Georgia, and officials are urging residents to do their part to help reduce the risk of wildfires.
On Friday, Jacksonville officials held a news conference to warn residents about the unusually high wildfire risk in the area after a dry winter, and urged residents to take immediate steps to protect homes and property.
The Florida Forest Service has had a big presence in Duval County over the past couple of weeks.
The National Wildfire Prevention and Education team arrived in Florida for a two-week assignment to increase awareness about the growing risk of wildfires amid worsening drought conditions throughout the state.
The U.S. Forest Service brought in the specialized team to educate the community about burn bans and preventing human-caused wildfires, which the organization said are responsible for 80% of wildfires.
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Officials say everyday activities — including outdoor cooking, campfires, fireworks, target shooting, yard debris burning and use of off-highway vehicles without proper maintenance or spark arrestors — can quickly lead to dangerous wildfires.
Jacksonville Fire Rescue Department Chief Percy 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.
The Florida Forest Service has also been assisting JFRD a lot more this year.
A representative said that at this point last year in Duval County, the agency responded to 1 fire on 1 acre. That has jumped up to 11 fires and up to 50 acres, the state official said.
Mike Work from the Forest Service says wildfires are happening much more frequently. The agency currently has four tractor plow units dedicated to Duval County alone.
Lake City has also moved in some of the agency’s large air tankers to help.
“So at any time, most fires that we respond to, it is impacting homes, streets, communities, schools and neighborhoods,” Work said. “So that is most important to get these fires caught small and keep them contained and small.”
Highway-related incidents are also a frequent source of fires. The Florida Forest Service urges residents to keep up with vehicle maintenance, noting that low tire pressure, worn tires and chains used when towing boats, RVs or off-highway vehicles can throw sparks that ignite dry vegetation along roadways.
Officials said the added personnel come at a critical time. Recent reports show that about 95% of Florida is experiencing at least moderate drought, with severe drought in Central and North Florida.
Lundie Bond, with the Florida Forest Service, offered a few tips to help prepare your property to prevent wildfires from spreading rapidly.
“Making sure that you have cleared vegetation away from your home, trimmed back bushes and trees, rake those leaves out several feet away from home. Clean your roof and gutters, and you would think, ‘Why would I need to do that because fire travels by ground?’ Well, it travels by air as well,” Bond said.