Why brushfire season may start earlier this...

An abnormally dry wet-season is taking its toll on SWFL. We are less than a month into dry season and with exceptionally dry conditions, this could mean an earlier onset to brush fires.

On Wednesday, the City of North Port issued a citywide Outdoor Burn Ban, in effect until further notice. For perspective, in the 2024-2025 dry season North Port didn’t issue a burn ban until mid-February; this year, it’s four months earlier.

I spoke to Matt Brennan, the Fire Marshall for Lehigh Acres Fire District, about his concerns.

“We had our Halloween cold front, and we have this cold front coming through. It’s just the beginning of the new season. Especially in Lehigh, with undeveloped lots and a lot of wildland areas, it becomes a real risk for us,” said Brennan.

To measure how dry the ground is, we use the Keetch-Byram drought index (KBDI), a continuous reference scale for estimating the dryness of the soil and duff layers. The KBDI ranges from 0 to 800 and is determined by how saturated the top eight inches of the ground is.

This time of year, our KBDI would normally be between 200-300, but that’s not the case. It’s currently 444 in Lee County, 516 in Charlotte County and 638 in Sarasota County.
In Lee County, a burn ban is enacted at 600 on the drought index. Brennan said that once we hit 500, we are in the danger area and need to be especially cautious.

February, March and April tend to be the months that are most active for brushfires, but lack of rainfall and recent cold fronts drying out vegetation more could mean an earlier start to the brushfire season.

So what can you do to ensure you’re burning safely this fall?

“The Florida Forest Service allows small standard size piles for yard debris, allowed by state law. So a two foot, three foot fire pit to burn yard debris and palm fronds are allowed without permit,” says Brennan.

But there are rules that must be followed for any legal fire.
1) 25 feet from forests/woods
2.) 50 feet from paved roads
3.) 25 feet from your house
4.) 150 feet from another house
5.) Yard debris piles smaller than 8ft
6.) Water available for extinguishment

If you have questions on how to burn safely, Contact your local Florida Forest Service office or local fire department.