Dry winter to burst into spring fires, officials say

By JULIE HAUSERMAN

© St. Petersburg Times, published January 17, 2001

TALLAHASSEE -- Saying they are not "crying wolf," state officials warned Tuesday that Florida faces the worst conditions in memory as the state heads into the spring wildfire season.

A seemingly unending drought, coupled with a cold winter that turned green forests brown, is making Florida's wildlands into tinder boxes.

"I would tell Floridians that we're into some very critical times. It's not just a matter of crying wolf," said Florida Division of Forestry head Earl Peterson. "We can expect the worst, I think."

The state is considering a ban on outdoor burning, said Agriculture Commissioner Bob Crawford.

And Tuesday, Gov. Jeb Bush asked the U.S. Department of Agriculture to send federal disaster assistance in 18 counties where crops have been destroyed by drought and flooding.

They include Hillsborough, Charlotte, Clay, Collier, Miami-Dade, Flagler, Glades, Hendry, Highlands, Lee, Martin, Okeechobee, Palm Beach, Polk, Putnam, St. John's, Seminole and Volusia.

Though 2001 is only about two weeks old, Florida already has seen 388 wildfires -- more fires than broke out in the same period in 2000 and 1999, Peterson said.

Tuesday, state forestry and disaster officials gave Bush a briefing on the situation.

"We have the worst drought conditions in the country," Bush said as he looked at a colored map showing the official drought index.

"We're in much, much worse shape this year than we've ever been before," Crawford said.

Florida's wildfire season peaks in early spring, the dry season. Even if rainfall amounts return to normal, it still won't provide enough soaking to ease conditions -- especially in parched Central Florida, officials said.

State officials want to avoid a repeat of 1998, when flames blackened a half-million acres and forced 130,000 people to evacuate their homes. In the end, 300 homes and 33 businesses were damaged or destroyed.

"It appears that this year is as serious or maybe more serious," Bush said.

The state Division of Forestry tracks wildfires by air, and monitors the drought index, rainfall report and a high-tech map that shows all Florida lightning strikes.

After the 1998 fire season, the state worked to get prepared for fires earlier in the season. Already, the state has set aside $9-million for firefighting efforts this year.

But one of the state's chief fire prevention measures, lighting fires intentionally to cut down brush -- so-called "controlled burning" -- is behind schedule, Peterson said. That's because it's been too dry in most of the state to burn safely.

In Tampa Bay, 2000 was one of the driest years in history, with rainfall coming in at about 15 inches below normal. In December, smoke from a 450-acre muck fire caused 11 accidents on Interstate 75 near Lake Panasoffkee, killing a Zephyrhills trucker.

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