Dry season fuels surge of brush fires across Southwest Florida on Tuesday

SOUTHWEST FLORIDA — Multiple brush fires ignited across Southwest Florida on Tuesday as first responders work through a busy dry season, so far.

Just hours after Lee County approved a burn ban on Tuesday, multiple agencies responded to a Lehigh Acres brush fire. The Florida Forest Service also recorded wildfires in Charlotte, Collier, DeSoto, Glades, and Sarasota counties.

"It's certainly not just us," said Chad Jorgensen, DeSoto County Public Safety Director. "It's all of Southwest Florida."

Jorgensen spoke with FOX 4 after DeSoto County Fire Rescue contained two small brush fires on Tuesday. Less rain over the summer is fueling a busy dry season for firefighters, Joregensen said.

FOX 4 Meteorologist Katie Walls said Southwest Florida received almost a foot of rain below average during the wet season. No tropical systems moved across the area and rainfall was limited to isolated areas.

The dry conditions are becoming increasingly visible. One gauge showed the Peace River is just nine inches deep in Arcadia on Tuesday evening.

DeSoto County Fire Rescue used a private airboat to battle a Peace River island brush fire, Jorgensen said. The water was too low for the department's boats.

DeSoto County's rural landscape also poses a challenge for firefighters. The department covers 640 square miles with just 17 people a shift.

"A fair amount of rural area. Things can, unfortunately for us, get going and not be seen right away," Jorgensen said. "And that can make it much more difficult to put it out."

DeSoto County firefighters are responding to brush fires almost daily, Jorgensen said. He warned people against throwing out lit cigarettes and leaving campfires smoldering.

“You may not realize what you’re doing," Jorgensen said. "It may not be malevolent but it can do a lot of harm.”

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