High Winds, Low Humidity Prompt Tighter Burn Restrictions

February 2, 2021

Officials with the Florida Forest Service’s Blackwater Forestry Center are limiting authorized burns in Escambia and Santa Rosa counties because of high winds and low humidity. Potential burns will be evaluated on a case-by-case basis Tuesday and only those who are certified burn practitioners may be authorized if approved.

Authorizations from the Florida Forest Service are required for prescribed burning – acreage burns – and piles greater than eight feet in diameter. Authorizations are not required for residential yard debris burning in piles less than eight feet in diameter, but Forest Service officials are strongly encouraging residents to refrain from any outdoor burning until conditions improve.

Florida has a year-round wildfire season that typically peaks in March and April. As the area approaches that transition from winter to spring, residents might consider taking steps to better protect themselves and their neighbors from the threat of a wildfire, according to the Forest Service.

Cleaning pine straw and leaves from roofs and gutters as well as maintaining a debris free zone around the home are good first steps. Creating defensible space – a clean and green landscape within the immediate vicinity of the home and thinned vegetation out 30 to 100 feet from the home – also is advisable in areas prone to wildfire, officials advised.

NorthEscambia.com file photo.

Comments

One Response to “High Winds, Low Humidity Prompt Tighter Burn Restrictions”

  1. Divine Eyes on February 2nd, 2021 9:35 pm

    Let it rain, let it rain
    Oh won’t you let it rain
    Let the storm rage
    Let the water run higher
    Let it rain, let it rain
    Oh won’t you let it rain
    Baptized in a river of fire
    Let the storm rage
    Let the water run higher
    Baptize me in a river of fire

Written by William Reynolds · Filed Under News