A long drought and rampant fires across much of Florida threatened to snuff out Independence Day celebrations throughout the state. But steady rains in the past two weeks have eased fireworks bans in several counties.
As of Wednesday, 29 of Floridas 67 counties had burn bans in effect, with all but nine of those including a ban on fireworks. By Friday morning, only 23 counties had burn bans, and three more -- Osceola, Brevard, and Palm Beach, which had a burn ban for its eastern half in place -- dropped their bans on fireworks by Friday afternoon.
Of the 20 counties with burn bans that remain in place, only five -- Hendry, Pasco, Taylor, Santa Rosa and Okaloosa -- do not include a ban on fireworks. As of Friday afternoon, the burn bans that remain in effect are mainly located in the westernmost tip of the Panhandle, in Northeast Florida, and in a smattering of counties in rural South Florida.
Commissioner of Agriculture Adam Putnam announced earlier in the week that a statewide ban on fireworks, as occurred in 1998 when fires shut down some major highways, was not likely before the Fourth of July holiday weekend.
Click here for a map of all counties with burn bans in place.
Given the good rains that weve had in the last week I do not anticipate a statewide burn ban order coming from this office, Putnam said Wednesday.
Still, he cautioned against a false sense of security, as Florida continues to see dry conditions across much of the state. There are still several counties with an average score of 550 on the Keetch Byram Drought Index, which runs from 0 (no moisture deficit) to 800.
Individual counties may maintain their burn ban, and we would strongly urge all Floridians to be extremely careful this Fourth of July weekend, because despite the rains, it remains a very fire-friendly. fire-conducive condition throughout much of the state, Putnam said.
As of Friday, there were 117 active wildfires in Florida, down by nearly 100 from earlier in the week, and 300 from the previous week. The fires are burning more than 22,000 acres of state lands and nearly 300,000 acres of federal lands.
The largest fire is in Baker County in Northeast Florida. The Impassable Bay Fire is burning more than 12,100 acres but is 95 percent contained.
Evidence of the danger of the fires has already been witnessed in Florida, as two firefighters with the Division of Forestry were killed on June 21 while fighting the Blue Ribbon Fire, which began in Georgia.
Josh Burch, 31, and Brett Fulton, 52, were killed as heavy smoke decreased visibility in their area, and the fast-moving fire overtook them. Putnam said the fire grew from 12 acres to 200 acres in mere hours.
Besides the threat of fire, Florida Chief Financial Officer and State Fire Marshall Jeff Atwater reminded citizens of the danger of fireworks to users. Last year, there were 357 firework accidents, causing $1.7 million in damages and nine injuries.
As you get together with friends and family this Fourth of July, remember to ensure that your county has not banned fireworks due to the severe drought plaguing our state for months. The proper fire-safety precautions can help ensure that you make only good memories this holiday, and remember that public fireworks displays are a safe and fun way to celebrate our nations birthday, Atwater said.
Rains are expected to lessen over the weekend; good news for those looking to revel in the holiday, but bad news for firefighters hoping the recent rains would become more consistent and dampen the threat of wildfires.
We need for these rains to become a pattern, and a well-established rainy season in order to really get our arms around the fires that continue to rage around the state, Putnam said.
Click here to see a Sunshine State News Snap video of Putnam's statement on Fourth of July fireworks.
Reach Gray Rohrer at grohrer@sunshinestatenews.com or at (850) 727-0859.
