Heating up: Officials share advice for wildfire season

NORTH PORT — As Southwest Florida slips further into the dry season, brush fire threats thrive.

A few have been reported already this year. Earlier this month, a multi-acre brush fire flared up next to the North Port skatepark, causing road closures.

This week, another fire, sparked by lightning from an overnight cold front, charred about 100 remote acres in the Mabry T. Carlton Reserve in mid-Sarasota County.

Both fires were brought under control by firefighters and state Forestry rangers.

Wildfire Mitigation Specialist Patrick Mahoney said although there was some recent rainfall in the area, winter and spring months typically tend to be dryer in Southwest Florida.

Also, there is no precipitation in the forecast for the coming days. That is a concern.

Mahoney, who works for the Florida Forest Service's Myakka District office, said that this year's dry period has actually not been as bad as some in the past. About seven years ago the drought was 600-700 on the drought index. The scale only goes up to 800.

“We were bouncing from one fire to the other. The last five years, we’ve had the dry conditions but haven’t had the ignition,” he said.

That's not to say there weren't any fires.

On March 2, 2023, a fast-moving fire, aided by gusting winds, kept firefighters busy in the area of Toledo Blade and Price boulevards. Several businesses, including a dance academy, were evacuated.

The previous season, a fire melted backyard fences and torched sheds in South Gulf Cove in western Charlotte County around April 1.

PREEMPTIVE MEASURES

Preventative measures, such as prescribed burns and mitigation, are practiced all over Florida to halt fires before they happen.

Planned fires, or controlled burns are to "reduce hazardous fuel loads near developed areas, manage landscapes, restore natural woodlands, and for research purposes," according to the National Park Service.

“You can deal with prescribed for a day — or wild fires for weeks,” Mahoney said.

But fires do start, some by lightning strikes, some by arson, others by carelessness.

Mahoney said some years ago a welder actually started a 50-acre fire behind him, without noticing.

In fact, most local fires are from equipment like the welder's, or an overheated exhaust system on a car or truck driving through dry grass or pine needles.

That, or unauthorized pile burns.

The latter is when sticks, leaves, and other shrubbery are burned in a large pile.

Florida is a "right-to-burn state," but fires must be 150 feet from any occupied building other than that of the landowner; 50 feet from any public roadway; 25 feet from any wild lands, brush, or combustible structures.

Also, there must be extinguishing equipment available at all times, according to the Florida Department of Environmental Protection.

Recreational fires can also get out of control if they spread embers or are not extinguished properly.

Counties like Sarasota, Charlotte and DeSoto can often institute "burn bans" if conditions get too bad, prohibiting campfires or fires in backyard pits.

None of those counties is currently under a burn ban at this time.

HELP AROUND THE HOME

There are also some things people can do at their homes to help prevent damage to their homes if a brush fire sweeps through their neighborhood.

Deputy Chief Scott Lane serves with the North Port Fire Rescue. He has also led the fire departments in Nokomis and Englewood, and has years of firefighting experience.

He shared some tips any homeowner can protect their property.

Cleaning leaves and sticks out of gutters and off of roofs is a good idea. The foliage is “fuel load just laying there.”

Clearing 30 feet of tree limbs, or debris around the house is highly recommended. Lane and fire experts suggest a defensible space between a home and plant life, or “fuel reduction.”

Even storing flammable items like wood close to one's house is far from a good idea — especially during this time of the year.

Lane said even if you see palmettos or other plant life are green, those still have flammable elements.

To spread the word of fire safety, North Port Fire Rescue and other fire departments in the area get the word out via social media, posting fire safety tips.

GEARING UP

If a fire does occur, however, area fire-fighting agencies — including the state Division of Forestry — have a number of tactics and procedures to nullify the flames.

They typically respond to calls about brush fires with several firefighting units at once, and will quickly alert neighboring departments to send help.

They'll use tools including water buckets carried by helicopters. Fire spotters in planes will help track the spread of fires and will relay the information to the chiefs on the ground.

State rangers use sturdy yellow bulldozers to "stomp" on fuel loads, cutting road of sorts to cut off a fire's movement.

BE CAREFUL

But even though fire officials have the means and tools required to fight flames, prevention, caution and knowledge prior to their beginning is also an effective tool. And the best thing people can do is be careful, at least until regular rains begin in June.

That could be be several weeks away.

Low humidity and high wind days can sometimes even be referred to as "red flag" days by officials. That means a fire happening in such conditions would be very bad, potentially. The cooler, windy, less humid weather is ideal for fires to flourish.

“People need to realize that until we get substantial rain they need to be careful," Lane said.