State Officials Recommend No Outdoor Burning

March 26, 2011

With high fire danger and several active wildfires throughout Northwest Florida, officials with the Florida Division of Forestry are asking residents to refrain from any outdoor burning in the immediate future.

“We have several large scale fires from Bay County west through the Panhandle going on right now and we recommend that people do not burn anything outside this weekend,” said Public Information Officer Joe Zwierzchowski. “With the cold, dry winter and lack of rain in the past several weeks, there is a good chance of fires spreading and those fires will be intense.”

While this is just a recommendation and not a burn ban, officials say that until the area receives some appreciable rainfall, the fire danger risk remains higher than normal.

“The most important thing is for people to be safe and realize that we are in a very real situation,” Zwierzchowski said. “What starts as a simple, little grass fire from someone burning off some tree trimmings or palm fronds can quickly become a wildfire.”

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Written by William Reynolds · Filed Under News