Hernando County lifts burn ban after recent rainfall lowers fire risk

Hernando County residents and contractors can burn outdoors again, but only within Florida Forest Service rules, after county commissioners unanimously lifted the burn ban on May 26. The change matters immediately in unincorporated Hernando County and the City of Brooksville, where the restriction had controlled yard debris burning and other outdoor fires since April 14.

Fire Chief Paul Heisenmier told commissioners the latest Keetch-Byram Drought Index had fallen to 379, a sharp drop from 638 at the May 11 meeting, when the county was still in severe drought. He also pointed to rainfall over the weekend and a reduced number of brush fire responses in recent weeks as signs that conditions had improved enough to end the ban.

The county first imposed the emergency temporary prohibition under Hernando County Code Chapter 12, Article VI, covering all unincorporated areas of Hernando County and the City of Brooksville. Even after the ban was lifted, the county website still described the area as being under a modified Phase III “Extreme” water shortage in late May, a reminder that the fire risk had eased but had not disappeared.

The decision came with fresh concern after a May 16 fire at Oak Hills Golf Course while the burn ban was still in effect. The Florida Forest Service had approved a permitted burn for a contractor using an air curtain incinerator, but the fire escaped and ignited nearby brush. Commissioner John Allocco asked whether the county could bill the developer for the fire department response, while County Attorney Jon Jouben said his office would need to research whether that was legally possible. Commissioner Brian Hawkins questioned how the burn could have been considered safe given the wind, nearby homes and a congested roadway.

The county’s action restores outdoor burning for people trying to clear debris or manage land, but the message from county leaders was plain: the ban is gone, not the danger. Hernando County Fire Rescue said the improved rainfall and fewer brush fires justified the vote, yet the Oak Hills incident showed how quickly a permitted burn can still turn into a response call.