Lee County extends burn ban after discussion

LEE COUNTY, Fla. (WINK)— Lee County leaders decided to extend the county-wide burn ban as Southwest Florida endures its worst drought in 25 years.

The ban applies to all areas of Lee County and will last for 30 days with possible extensions in seven day increments if conditions persist.

Right now, every Southwest Florida county other than Charlotte is under a burn ban.

The Lee County Board of Commissioners discussed the burn ban during a meeting at 9:30 a.m. Tuesday.

The decision comes as the region continues to face dangerous fire conditions. Just a couple of months ago, a 35-acre brush fire broke out in northeast Cape Coral at the corner of Kismet Parkway and Del Prado Boulevard, threatening homes and forcing evacuations and road closures.

While the grass at the Cape Coral fire site is wet from recent rain, the brief reprieve from the record drought has done little to ease concerns. The drought has created perfect conditions for fires to ignite and spread quickly.

The Hilux Fire is currently burning in Collier County near Big Cypress National Preserve. The fire first sparked on Friday and has already burned 511 acres with only 5% containment.