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Early Start to Wildfire Season Prompts Burn Ban in Pasco

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By KEVIN WIATROWSKI | The Tampa Tribune

Published: February 24, 2009

NEW PORT RICHEY - With Pasco County tinder-dry, county commissioners instituted their earliest-ever burn ban today for all unincorporated areas.

The state Division of Forestry's drought index for Pasco now sits at 572 on an 800-point scale and is growing by three points a day without rain, Anthony LoPinto, the county's fire chief told commissioners.

Rainfall throughout the Tampa Bay area has been below average for months, and unusually cold temperatures in January killed off vegetation that's now providing fuel for fires.

Firefighters have spent the past week battling wildfires across the county. Blazes in Hudson and Holiday forced people to evacuate from their homes.

"I'm coming to you earlier than I can remember ever coming to you for this ban," LoPinto said.

The burn ban makes it illegal to burn brush, clear land by fire, light a campfire or set off fireworks without written permission from the Division of Forestry. Pasco County joins other area counties who have already passed similar measures.

The ban doesn't affect outdoor grilling or the use of fire in industrial settings. It was prompted by drought levels much higher than normal for this time of year, LoPinto said.

The Division of Forestry uses an 800-point scale to measure the amount of moisture in soils and flammable material on the ground. The higher the number, the drier the conditions.

At this time last year, the state average was about 300 on the drought index.

The only parts of the state reporting low levels of drought are the Panhandle and northeast Florida, according to Division of Forestry maps.

Reporter Kevin Wiatrowski can be reached at (813) 948-4201.

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