captstanm1
05-01-2005, 04:23 PM
04/12/05
Extra caution urged with debris burning
ARCADIA -- As smoke from numerous rural debris fires continues to rise against deep blue DeSoto County skies, the Florida agriculture commissioner has asked extra caution be taken to prevent woods fires.
Commissioner Charles Bronson issued his appeal as part of Fire Awareness Week, which began Sunday.
The week was designated by the state Cabinet in 1999, following a particularly disastrous fire season that saw 4,900 wildfires destroy 330 buildings and scorch more than half a million acres.
Help came from all over the United States to help Florida fight the fires of 1998.
But much of the first part of this spring's dry season has been unusually wet, a fact Bronson acknowledged.
"Even though we've had an unusually wet spring, I encourage all Floridians to be very careful with any outdoor fires," he said.
So far this year, there have been 1,100 wildfires that have burned 13,000 acres of Florida woodlands. Forty-eight buildings have been lost.
"The state has just begun what is normally its direst period," Bronson noted, "April and May."
DeSoto and adjacent counties enter this driest season officially "wet" by Florida Forestry standards. As of Monday, the state averaged 129 on a drought index where anything under 400 is "wet". DeSoto's index figure was 202 while Charlotte County was a wet 109. Sarasota County has received the most rain in this area this year and its index Monday was 99.
Bronson noted that Florida has a 12-month fire season because of our tropical climate, and as little as two weeks without rain can result in a spurt of the drought index and added dangers of wildfires.
"This year," he said, "firefighters will have to deal with another factor that threatens to make wildfires more difficult to control -- the thousands of dead trees uprooted by last year's hurricanes."
Hurricane Charley left devastation in DeSoto woods, as well as those east of coastal Charlotte County. Winds above 60 miles per hour in DeSoto from Hurricanes Frances and Jeanne further broke up the forests.
"Dead and dying trees and shrubs from the 2004 hurricanes and tropical storms are now additional fuel for wildfires," Bronson said. "We could have severe wildfires for several years to come because of the massive amounts of woody debris in our forests and wildlands."
There have been several woods fires in DeSoto County earlier this season and firefighters did report that bulldozers were hampered in cutting fire lines because of fallen trees.
The dead trees are under insect attack, but it will be years before they cease to be a fire hazard.
Bronson said forestry officials "are especially concerned that homeowners disposing of hurricane debris may accidentally cause a wildfire."
"Escaped debris fires are a frequent cause of wildfires in Florida," he said. "If you still have leaves and other debris from the 2004 storms, first consider using the lighter organic material for mulch, then set larger pieces aside for curbside pickup if it is available. If you still have debris to burn, contact the local office of our Division of Forestry so you know how to burn safely and legally."
Gusty winds could be the only problem with the weather in the next few days. Rain is possible beginning Tuesday night and is forecast to a factor in Wednesday's weather here.
The same storm system that buried Denver under snow this past weekend will swing a trailing tail through Florida, threatening rain ahead of its weak cold front.
Any rain would help soil moisture, and wet fuel doesn't burn rapidly. But with the small amounts of rain anticipated will come winds gusting to 22 miles per hour, and winds that high can quickly spread any fire that starts, plus dry out the topsoil area.
In the past few weeks, soaking rains have been followed by low humidity and high winds, a combination that causes the National Weather Service in Ruskin to issue fire danger alerts on behalf of the forestry service. Such alerts might be necessary Thursday or Friday of this week.
By ROBERT BOWDEN
Staff Writer
Extra caution urged with debris burning
ARCADIA -- As smoke from numerous rural debris fires continues to rise against deep blue DeSoto County skies, the Florida agriculture commissioner has asked extra caution be taken to prevent woods fires.
Commissioner Charles Bronson issued his appeal as part of Fire Awareness Week, which began Sunday.
The week was designated by the state Cabinet in 1999, following a particularly disastrous fire season that saw 4,900 wildfires destroy 330 buildings and scorch more than half a million acres.
Help came from all over the United States to help Florida fight the fires of 1998.
But much of the first part of this spring's dry season has been unusually wet, a fact Bronson acknowledged.
"Even though we've had an unusually wet spring, I encourage all Floridians to be very careful with any outdoor fires," he said.
So far this year, there have been 1,100 wildfires that have burned 13,000 acres of Florida woodlands. Forty-eight buildings have been lost.
"The state has just begun what is normally its direst period," Bronson noted, "April and May."
DeSoto and adjacent counties enter this driest season officially "wet" by Florida Forestry standards. As of Monday, the state averaged 129 on a drought index where anything under 400 is "wet". DeSoto's index figure was 202 while Charlotte County was a wet 109. Sarasota County has received the most rain in this area this year and its index Monday was 99.
Bronson noted that Florida has a 12-month fire season because of our tropical climate, and as little as two weeks without rain can result in a spurt of the drought index and added dangers of wildfires.
"This year," he said, "firefighters will have to deal with another factor that threatens to make wildfires more difficult to control -- the thousands of dead trees uprooted by last year's hurricanes."
Hurricane Charley left devastation in DeSoto woods, as well as those east of coastal Charlotte County. Winds above 60 miles per hour in DeSoto from Hurricanes Frances and Jeanne further broke up the forests.
"Dead and dying trees and shrubs from the 2004 hurricanes and tropical storms are now additional fuel for wildfires," Bronson said. "We could have severe wildfires for several years to come because of the massive amounts of woody debris in our forests and wildlands."
There have been several woods fires in DeSoto County earlier this season and firefighters did report that bulldozers were hampered in cutting fire lines because of fallen trees.
The dead trees are under insect attack, but it will be years before they cease to be a fire hazard.
Bronson said forestry officials "are especially concerned that homeowners disposing of hurricane debris may accidentally cause a wildfire."
"Escaped debris fires are a frequent cause of wildfires in Florida," he said. "If you still have leaves and other debris from the 2004 storms, first consider using the lighter organic material for mulch, then set larger pieces aside for curbside pickup if it is available. If you still have debris to burn, contact the local office of our Division of Forestry so you know how to burn safely and legally."
Gusty winds could be the only problem with the weather in the next few days. Rain is possible beginning Tuesday night and is forecast to a factor in Wednesday's weather here.
The same storm system that buried Denver under snow this past weekend will swing a trailing tail through Florida, threatening rain ahead of its weak cold front.
Any rain would help soil moisture, and wet fuel doesn't burn rapidly. But with the small amounts of rain anticipated will come winds gusting to 22 miles per hour, and winds that high can quickly spread any fire that starts, plus dry out the topsoil area.
In the past few weeks, soaking rains have been followed by low humidity and high winds, a combination that causes the National Weather Service in Ruskin to issue fire danger alerts on behalf of the forestry service. Such alerts might be necessary Thursday or Friday of this week.
By ROBERT BOWDEN
Staff Writer