Floridians could be advised to celebrate the nation’s upcoming 250th anniversary without fireworks if heavy, ground-soaking rains don’t soon arrive.
Members of the state Cabinet warned Tuesday they won’t hold back on taking legal action against those responsible for blazes that get out of control and affect residential areas as the peak of an already highly active year for wildfires has yet to arrive.
Attorney General James Uthmeier said his office will hold people accountable if they start “some big bonfire with these drought conditions, and the wind blows, and all of a sudden the neighborhood is on fire, you will be held accountable.”
“Have fun. Have a good time. Enjoy some beers over the holidays this summer. But if you’re in one of these burn ban counties … please take this seriously,” Uthmeier said during a press conference at the Withlacoochee Forestry Training Center in Brooksville. “If you violate these orders, if danger takes place, if people are harmed, we will be there to prosecute.”
Agriculture Commissioner Wilton Simpson added that without significant rain to end drought conditions found in 90 percent of the state, alternatives to fireworks could be in order for the Fourth of July.
“You’re talking about … potentially hundreds of thousands of people going out and doing fireworks. You could put the entire state on fire in one evening,” Simpson said.
Chief Financial Officer Blaise Ingoglia, who is also the state’s fire marshal, expressed a need for people to use “common sense” as summer holidays arrive, kids are out of school and there is an increase in parties.
“We’ve had some rain, nowhere near what is needed to fill reservoirs and make sure the ground is saturated to quell the fires,” Ingoglia said. “Before you start burnings, before the bonfire, check with local authorities to make sure you’re not putting anyone at risk.”
Since the start of the year, 2,101 wildfires have been reported on state and federal lands in Florida, consuming 136,584 acres, according to the state Forest Service.
Burn bans, with prohibitions on burning yard debris, were in place in 15 counties on Tuesday: Lake, Lee, Levy, Marion, Orange, Osceola, Pasco, Polk, Putnam, Sarasota, Seminole, St. Johns, Sumter, Union and Wakulla.
Last year, the state recorded 2,913 fires that burned 228,183 acres.
“It’s going to take at least a foot of rain to get us out of severe drought conditions in most counties,” Simpson said.
“We’ve been through many wildfire seasons, probably none like this one in several decades, many decades,” Simpson added. “This is as bad as it gets.”
Simpson said property owners should regularly clear their roofs and gutters, maintain debris-free space around the property, and have plans mapped out for what to take, such as pets and medicines, if told to quickly evacuate.
“We will get through this, but we need residents to pay attention,” Simpson said.
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