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Drought Is Fueling Fires

Tribune photo by JIM REED

Dave Fogler, who oversees the state Division of Forestry region that includes Pasco, Hernando, Citrus, Sumter and Lake counties, says he is seeing fire behavior now that he usually sees in April.

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By LISA A. DAVIS

ldavis@tampatrib.com

Published: February 20, 2009

HOLIDAY - After Thursday afternoon's rain - which lasted minutes, not hours - Dave Fogler scraped his foot into the soil where a brush fire was still smoldering and quickly hit dry sand. The earth was damp for only a tenth of an inch, maybe two-tenths, he estimated, but the rain had been a godsend.

Thursday was Fogler's second day in the area commanding firefighters from the state Division of Forestry and Pasco Fire Rescue battling the fire. It started about 2:30 p.m. Wednesday between the Gulf Trace and Beacon Square subdivisions, west of U.S. 19 in Holiday, and swept through the wooded areas close to the congested Beacon Square community. Flames shot through treetops and lapped homes, damaging a couple and threatening others. About 25 families were evacuated, but no injuries were reported.

Wildfire season seems to be coming early this year. It usually begins in mid or late March and lasts until the summer rains start regularly drenching the state near the end of June. But months of low rainfall and an abundance of dry vegetation on the ground are making conditions dangerous now.

Since Jan. 1, the state Division of Forestry region Dave Fogler oversees has been hit by 58 fires that burned 797 acres. Between Jan. 1 and Feb. 18 last year, the region, which includes Pasco, Hernando, Citrus, Sumter and Lake counties, saw 24 fires that burned 85 acres.

"I'm seeing fire behavior now that I usually don't see until April," Fogler said.

"All signs are pointing to a really bad wildfire season. Be prepared."

By Thursday morning, the brush fire in Holiday had been contained, but crews were still watching small fires flare and smolder until the rain came.

"It calmed it way down, and it will keep it down for a couple of days," Fogler said. "That will give us time to work on our fire lines and get ready for the next one."

Wildfire Season Comes Early

Another fire sparked Wednesday night in a swampy part of northeast Pasco, between Interstate 75 and State Road 52 in the San Antonio area. It produced thick smoke and burned through dry ponds, igniting the muck in the beds, but didn't burn any structures. It, too, had been contained by Thursday morning.

Wildfire season has also come early to the region Gary Zipprer oversees for the Division of Forestry, which includes Hillsborough, Polk and Pinellas counties, though the spike in wildfires hasn't been as startling as it has been in Fogler's area.

Since Jan. 1, Zipprer's crews have battled at least 40 fires burning between 700 and 800 acres, compared to 36 fires that burned 771 acres last year.

Fire crews in Polk County contained a seven-acre brush fire Wednesday afternoon that forced the evacuation of 274 homes and 30 businesses in the Crystal Lake area. Though no official cause has been determined, Zipprer said it looks like an out-of-control trash fire was the culprit.

Four more brush fires swept through the same area of Polk on Wednesday evening. Fire investigators suspect a serial arsonist who was starting fires in the area about a month ago, Zipprer said.

Months of sparse rainfall have left the region dry, and January's cold temperatures killed off vegetation, turning it into fuel for wildfires.

"We're concerned," said Pasco Fire Rescue Assistant Chief Mike Ciccarello. "I've got to tell you that."

When the drought index hits 500 or so, fire officials know they will be busy chasing brush fires. The index runs from 0 to 800, with 800 indicating extremely dry conditions. On Thursday, Hillsborough County was at 535, Polk at 555, Pasco at 564 and Pinellas at 480.

"The way things are going now, we could have the drought index into the high-700s by March," Zipprer said.

July was the last month the region saw above-average rainfall totals. Rainfall that month was 9.84 inches, 3.35 inches above normal.

The usually wet months of August and September were atypically dry. The Tampa Bay area was 4 inches below normal in September, and then the year kept getting drier.

The area has recorded 3.09 inches of rain since Jan. 1, said Jennifer Colson, a forecaster for the National Weather Service in Ruskin. Normal rainfall through February is 4.04 inches.

The conditions remind Fogler and Zipprer of the wildfire season of 1998. Even though El Nino conditions brought record rain in the winter, it stopped in March, and there was hardly any for most of the year. Ponds and lakes didn't dry out, but everything around them did.

"That was the year we had half of Florida on fire," Fogler said.

People Play A Major Role

The cause of Wednesday's 43-acre fire in Holiday isn't certain, but firefighters found evidence of fireworks.

"It could've been as simple as a bottle rocket," Fogler said. "It's so tough to determine the cause of a wildfire."

Fogler spotted a homeless man Thursday on the side of U.S. 19, near the fires, burning an ant mound with a lighter.

People can play a large part in preventing wildfires.

Burning yard waste or letting a car muffler drag on the road can spark fires. People can help protect their homes by keeping roofs and gutters free of leaves, pine needles and other debris; keeping the grass trimmed and heavy brush more than 30 feet away from the house.

Many local governments have passed burn bans or already have laws in effect preventing residents from burning yard waste.

On Tuesday, Ciccarello will follow the example of surrounding counties and ask Pasco County commissioners to prohibit just about any outdoor burning - at least through the rainy season.

"The risk is just too great to allow fires to get out of hand," he said. "It's going to get worse before it gets better."

Reporters Ray Reyes and Geoff Fox contributed to this report. Reporter Lisa A. Davis can be reached at (727) 815-1083.

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