FLAGLER COUNTY, Fla. – Flagler County officials enacted a burn ban effective from June 5 to June 12.
A Florida statute allows Flagler County to declare a state of local emergency for seven-day durations and to extend them in seven-day intervals.
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“The conditions are becoming favorable for rapid fire growth so this action will help,” Flagler County Fire Rescue Chief Michael Tucker said. “In addition to the ban on burning, remember that a good offense is the best defense. Clear the area around your house of anything that will go up in flames easily, including stacks of firewood, portable propane tanks, and dead, dry vegetation.”
The burn ban prohibits the following:
- Discharge or use of fireworks, sparklers, flares, or other items containing any “explosive compound”
- Open burning, including the use of fire pits and containers
- Outdoor cookers and grills unless attended by an adult at all times
- Throwing matches, cigarettes, or other burning materials from vehicles
- Parking vehicles with catalytic converters in high grassy areas
The current Keetch Byram Drought Index (KBDI) mean is 518 for Flagler County.
The KBDI is a range from zero to 800 in which zero is the wettest condition and 800 is the dryest or drought.
Officials said all flammable items within 30 feet of a structure should be removed. Homeowners should clear roofs, eaves, gutters, wood decks and patios of leaves, needles, and other debris.
“Additionally, do not store things under decks or porches, and consider using rocks or gravel in those areas instead of grass or mulch,” Tucker said. “Wood-driven fires, like brushfires, create embers that can be carried quite far, and tend to find their way to the same nooks and crannies where leaves accumulate.”
Barbecue coals should be fully extinguished before adding them to garbage receptacles.
“Please take this burn ban seriously,” Tucker said. “It’s been a while since we’ve had one in Flagler County, so please heed our warnings.”