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County reissues ban on burning
By JEFFREY S. SOLOCHEK © St. Petersburg Times, published April 26, 2001 After a three-week reprieve, county commissioners have reinstated Hernando's ban on outdoor burning. The drought index for the county, which had dropped to as low as 332 early this month, jumped back to an average of 529 Tuesday, spiking as high as 613. The scale runs from zero to 800, with higher numbers representing more arid conditions that indicate greater risk for wildfires. "It's very dangerous to be burning at all," said Danny Roberts, chief of daily operations for the Hernando County Fire Rescue District. "The conditions are so bad. Right now, I realize we're getting a little bit of rain, which is a drop in the bucket. Our fear is that one (fire) will get away." It drizzled lightly in parts of Hernando County on Wednesday. The state Division of Forestry, which grants permits for most large-scale outdoor burning, has not allowed burns for the past 10 days, Roberts said. Hernando County firefighters coped with 17 brushfires, 38 unauthorized burns and 11 smoke investigations between April 1 and April 23, he added. Commissioners lifted the ban on April 3 after a couple days of steady rain. They first imposed it on Jan. 26. Commission Chairman Chris Kingsley expressed dismay that Fire Rescue Chief Mike Nickerson had recommended ending the ban without much thought that regular rainfall was nowhere in sight. On Tuesday, he urged Nickerson not to do the same thing again. Until the commission ends its ban -- which includes all parts of the county, including Brooksville -- all yard burning that does not have a permit from the Division of Forestry is prohibited. The ban does not include barbecuing in a contained grill.
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From today's Hernando Times |
