Manatee County extends burn ban as drought worsens

While Manatee County’s burn ban was set to expire Feb. 20, county officials and Paul Wren, the deputy chief for the East Manatee Fire Rescue District, said the burn ban will remain in effect until further notice. 

Wren’s best advice for residents who might not be sure about what the burn ban entails is to ask questions before taking action.

“Don't just assume that you're OK to do this particular burn function or light off these fireworks for a party,” he said. “Please, ask questions of the professionals first (your local fire district or the Florida Forest Service). We’ll give you the right information, which, right now, is pretty simple — don’t do it.”

Wren described the drought index as “incredibly high.” At the 500 mark, the fire district gets concerned, and the index is currently over 600. 

According to the U.S. Drought Monitor’s latest report dated Feb. 10, “Keetch-Byram Drought Index values range from 600 to above 700 in several areas (of Florida), showing elevated to extreme fire potential.” 

A day earlier, Gov. Ron DeSantis signed an executive order to aid Florida’s farmers by allowing actions such as emergency harvesting. 

The order states that worsening drought conditions are contributing to “an increase in wildfire activity across the state, with approximately 120 active wildfires currently burning an estimated 9,700 acres.” 

Courtesy image

The recent cold snap amplified the severity of the situation. The cold kills low lying grasses and vegetation, which Wren now describes as “prime fuel for any little spark.”

While East County has been lucky so far, Wren noted that Polk County fought over 30 brush fires Feb. 15. 

Polk County firefighters responded to 72 fires throughout the week. 

About two weeks earlier, a spark from a fire lit inside a trash can burned about five acres of land off of Rutland Road in Parrish. It took firefighters four hours to extinguish the fire.

“Think about your neighbors,” Wren said. “These types of fires (like the one in Parrish), they escape regularly. It’s not intentional by the people who are burning, but it doesn’t erase the fact that it could escape, and the responsibility of that is definitely going to fall on whoever initiated that fire, especially when a burn ban is in place.”

The Sunday that Polk County responded to 30 fires in one day was particularly windy. Commissioner Carol Felts said Manatee County received several reports from residents in East County about dust storms. If dust is flying, so can fire. 

The area was receiving gusts in the 30 to 40 mile per hour range, which Wren said wreaks havoc with wildfires because fire moves with the wind, especially in Florida because the land is so flat. What’s particularly dangerous is that the fire is moving at that same speed. 

While animals and properties are also at a heightened risk, the fire district’s top priority is to safeguard people’s lives. 

“We want people to understand that the danger is real,” Wren said.