June 5, 2024 – Flagler County enacted a burn ban effective 5 p.m. Wednesday (June 5) and declared a state of local emergency to do so. The ban remains in effect for seven days.
“The conditions are becoming favorable for rapid fire growth so this action will help,” said Flagler County Fire Rescue Chief Michael Tucker. “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/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
Chapter 12, Flagler County Code, and Section 252.38(3), Florida Statutes, authorize Flagler County to declare a state of local emergency for durations of seven days and to extend them in seven-day intervals, during which time period the county may waive the procedures and formalities otherwise required of political subdivisions by law.
The current Keetch Byram Drought Index (KBDI) mean is 518 for Flagler County. The KBDI is a range from 0 (zero) to 800 in which 0 is the wettest condition and 800 is the dryest, or drought.
The rule of thumb for taking personal protective measures, accepted by a variety of fire prevention agencies, including the National Fire Protection Association, is that 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 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.”
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