State fire officials warn rain won't end Hernando wildfire risk

Rain in Hernando County may green up yards, but it will not quickly erase the wildfire danger in neighborhoods near woods, brush or undeveloped land. State fire officials warned on May 19 in Brooksville that the first stretch of wet weather does not mean the threat is over, especially when lightning can spark new fires as summer storms return.

The warning carries extra weight in Hernando County, where officials have already imposed two emergency burn bans this year. The county first banned outdoor burning effective January 8 in unincorporated areas and the City of Brooksville after the Keetch-Byram Drought Index climbed to 606 and rising, a level the county said meant Very High fire danger. A second ban took effect April 14 after Hernando County Fire Rescue reported a spike in brush fires. At that point, the county said the drought index stood at 509 and rising, placing the county in High fire danger.

County notices said outdoor burning, bonfires, campfires and yard-debris burning were prohibited unless specifically permitted by the Florida Forest Service. Contained gas or charcoal grills were still allowed. The county also told residents to report violations to the Hernando County Communications Center at 352-754-6830. For homeowners, the practical warning is clear: do not assume a wet weekend makes pile burning safe, and do not let yard debris, dead grass or brush accumulate near homes at the edge of wooded land.

State officials said the fire risk is still broad. During an April 7 briefing, Florida Forest Service officials said it would take 10 to 12 inches of rain to offset the conditions fueling fire danger, and by April 8 they said crews had already fought about 1,500 fires since Jan. 1. By May 19, state officials said Florida had more than 2,100 fires and 135,000 acres burned since January. Florida Forest Service Director Rick Dolan said predictive services were forecasting drought, high fire danger and higher fire activity through the end of July and into August.

Hernando residents have already seen how fast the county can burn. A brush fire near Brooksville on March 30 grew to about 12 acres and was only about 5% contained at one point, requiring bulldozers, brush trucks, water tankers and a helicopter. Another late-March fire burned about 150 acres and prompted temporary evacuation orders. With the Florida Forest Service still listing Hernando County among county-enacted burn bans on May 20, the message is that rain helps, but it does not end the season.