TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (WCTV/Gray Florida Capital Bureau) – Florida’s wildfire season is expected to worsen as drought conditions persist across the state, prompting officials to urge residents to help prevent fires.
Every corner of Florida is under some level of drought, leading to more than half of the state under a burn ban.
“The wildfire season in this state has been one of the worst on record,” said Wilton Simpson, commissioner of agriculture.
More than 2,100 fires have burned more than 130,000 acres across Florida. Simpson said the fire danger remains high.
“We are still in severe drought in this state. It’s going to take more than a foot of rain to get us out of severe drought conditions in most counties,” Simpson said.
Even if Florida gets some showers, state fire officials say that alone won’t solve the bigger problem on the ground.
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“That is nowhere near what is needed to fill our reservoirs and make sure the ground is saturated enough to quell any potential fires,” said Blaise Ingoglia, chief financial officer and state fire marshal.
Simpson said in most cases, this year’s wildfires could have been prevented.
“We’ve had many fires this year start from backyard fires getting out of hand, people throwing cigarettes out windows, and some things we take for granted, but it turned into many hundreds or many thousands of fires this year,” Simpson said.
He said it is important to check county burn bans. About two-thirds of the state is under one.
Attorney General James Uthmeier said those who don’t comply could face serious charges.
“If you act recklessly and cause a fire that causes destruction across communities, you’re still looking at time behind bars and fines. We will prosecute cases. People need to act prudently,” Uthmeier said.
Simpson is expecting more wildfires caused by lightning as thunderstorms become more prevalent in the summer.
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