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Hernando, Polk Issue Burn Bans In Perfect Storm Of Fire Conditions

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By NEIL JOHNSON

njohnson@tampatrib.com

Published: February 12, 2009

Updated: 02/12/2009 11:58 am

TAMPA - Killing freezes, a stubborn lack of rain and the usual dry winter air have united to turn most of the state's vegetation into tinder.

Fire conditions not even halfway through February are more like April or May, when the state's wildfire season peaks.

On Wednesday, the Hernando County Commission issued an indefinite burn ban for the county because of the conditions.

"We're seeing March, April and May fire behavior in February," said Chuck Schneider, forestry operations administrator at the Withlacoochee State Forest center in Hernando County.

Freezes in January and last week killed what vegetation the drought hadn't wiped out, and low humidity makes it easier for sparks to ignite a fire and for fires to become more intense.

State Division of Forestry officials found out how volatile conditions are two days ago when an experienced person burning a stack of dead citrus trees had a fire escape, Schneider said.

The person took all the proper precautions, had heavy equipment ready and a bare ring of dirt 70 yards wide around the fire. Yet wind carried embers to grass beyond.

"He did everything right. It caught all of us in the burning business off-guard," Schneider said.

The fire also highlights the danger for anyone burning trash or lawn debris in their backyard. Things are dry enough in Polk County, where two fires grew to more than 100 acres each during the weekend, that the county has banned any individual backyard burning.

Polk County is the driest among Hillsborough, Pinellas and Polk that make up the forestry division's Lakeland district, said Chris Kintner, spokeswoman for the Lakeland district.

"It's not a good time to be doing any burning," she said.

The freezes killed grass in pastures, lawns and road shoulders, creating ready fuel that can be ignited by the catalytic converter of a car parked on a grassy roadside or exhaust from heavy equipment.

"We're seeing a lot more grass fires," Kintner said.

A lack of rainfall across most of the state shows up on an index that measures dry conditions that counts 0 as saturated and 800 as a desert.

Last year at this time, 18 percent of the state measured from 600 to 800 on the index, the range where fire danger is most extreme. This year, 36 percent of the state falls in that range.

"Last year we were getting more rain showers," Kintner said.

Statewide, that index is 511 and last year, it was 382.

Forestry officials begin to tense when the index hits the 500 range.

The meat of the state's wildfire season is still ahead. The Florida dry season runs from October through early June when thunderstorms become more regular.

By April and May rising temperatures add to the lack of rain.

"If we don't get rain soon, we're looking at a serious spring season," Schneider said.

Reporter Neil Johnson can be reached at (813) 259-7731.

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