Wakulla County is currently in a moderate drought. Under these dry conditions, plants can quickly become fuel for dangerous fires.
Recently, the fire rescue has seen about a 4% increase in brush and grass-related fire calls. The National Weather Service says the lack of rain we’ve seen recently has led to these drought conditions Watch the video above to see how you can stay vigilant when it comes to preventing fires during a drought.
BROADCAST TRANSCRIPT:
The Wakulla County Fire Rescue has seen about a 3.5 to 4% increase in brush and grass-related fire calls during this drought.
A division chief with the rescue says that these drought conditions can easily turn the plants on the ground into fire fuel.
“The drier the fuels are, the more it’s going to burn, and the faster it’s going to burn,” said Jerry Johnson, Division Chief at Wakulla County Fire Rescue.
According to the US Drought Monitor, Wakulla County is currently in a moderate drought.
“It’s really been the last 30 to 45 days where we’re about three and a half to four and a half inches of rain below normal for this time of year,” said Cameron Young, a National Weather Service Meteorologist.
These conditions are similar to 2023.
During these droughts, the fire rescue sees an uptick of brush and grass fire-related calls. While the uptick is not as drastic as times when we’re in severe droughts, the danger is still the same.
Chief Johnson with the fire rescue says most of the time these fires come from lack of following the rules set by the Florida Forest Service, like never leaving your fire unattended, don’t burn on windy days, and make sure the fire is completely out before you leave.
“Most of the fires that we go to are from, you know, somebody burning debris in their yard, yard waste, and they leave to go to the store, and it jumps out,” explained Johnson. “And you know, at that point, it’s hit dry grass that does not have enough moisture in it, and it begins to start running into the neighbors’ yards.”
He says when people adhere to the guidelines, they don’t see issues.
The Climate Prediction Center predicts that this drought could last through the end of the year. Chief Johnson implores everyone to stay vigilant to prevent fires at or near your home.
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