Indian River County emergency management officials have lifted the countywide burn ban because they said recent rainfall has reduced the immediate risk of wildfires across the county.

A burn ban remains in effect in St. Lucie County as of March 18, according to Erick Gill, St. Lucie County spokesperson. He said a decision on whether to extend the ban is made each Friday. The ban first went into effect Feb. 7.

A burn ban remains in effect in Martin County since Feb. 10, according to Cory Pippin, Martin County Fire Rescue spokesperson.

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Children attending the Hobe Sound Nature Center’s spring break camp meet and learn about the center’s resident box and mud turtle and gopher tortoise, March 17, 2026. The five-day nature camp gives the children a chance to explore the wild, search for critters, meet the animal ambassadors and learn about Florida’s ecosystems.

“Based on current conditions, I recommend lifting the existing burn ban,” said David Johnson, director and fire chief of the Indian River County Department of Emergency Services, in a news release March 18.

Recent rainfall, combined with a current average Keetch-Byram drought index in the mid-400s, has significantly reduced the immediate risk of wildfires across Indian River County, he said.

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The Florida Forest Service uses the Keetch-Byram drought index to estimate the dryness of the soil and duff layers. The index increases each day without rain and decreases when it rains. The scale ranges from 0 to 800, with 800 being the driest.

As of March 18, the drought index in Indian River was 400-449; St. Lucie County was 450-499; and Martin County was 600-649. All counties had been in 500 and 600 range in past weeks.

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“Over the past several days, all areas of (Indian River County) have received substantial rainfall, greatly reducing the threat to public safety, property, and natural resources,” said County Administrator Titkanich in the news release.

The fire danger is low in Indian River and St. Lucie counties and moderate in Martin County, according to the forest service. There have been 1,249 wildfires statewide since Jan. 1.

Portions of Martin and St, Lucie counties have received up to an inch of rain recently and portions of Indian River County received up to three-quarters of an inch.

There’s a 20-30% chance of rain in Vero Beach, Fort Pierce and Stuart through Friday, according to the National Weather Service in Melbourne.

This article originally appeared on Treasure Coast Newspapers: Are burn bans still in effect across the Treasure Coast?