State drought index triggers action
Just five days after the Sarasota County Fire Department lifted the countywide burn ban that had been effect since Oct. 11, 2025, the Fire Department issued an advisory late in the afternoon of Sunday, April 19, that reimposed the ban.
As a county news release explained, “Under Sarasota County’s burn ban ordinance (Sarasota County Code Section 58-2), burn bans automatically go into effect countywide and prohibit almost all open burning when the Keetch-Byram Drought Index (KBDI) meets or exceeds 500.
On Sunday, the Keetch-Byram figure for Sarasota County was 503, state leaders reported.
As the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services explains on its website, “The Keetch-Byram drought index (KBDI) is a continuous reference scale for estimating the dryness of the soil and duff layers. The range of the index is determined by assuming that there is 8 inches of moisture in a saturated soil that is readily available to the vegetation.”
The April 19 county advisory pointed out, “All outdoor burning is prohibited unless a permit has been issued,” and that is applicable not only for the unincorporated areas of Sarasota County, but also for the City of Sarasota.
“Exceptions to this include cooking on barbeque grills or pits that do not exceed three feet in diameter and two feet in height, or any other valid state or county-authorized burn,” the news release added.
“The burn ban will automatically lift after the drought index falls below 500 for seven consecutive days,” the release said. “This announcement will be made on scgov.net, on Sarasota County social media pages and in local news media reports, it noted.
The leaders of the Sarasota County Fire Department are asking all residents to stay vigilant during these dry conditions and to take the following actions to protect their families and homes from fire danger:
- “Create three zones of defensible spacearound your home or business.
- “Clear trash and dead vegetation from the yard.
- “Remove leaves and debris from roof, gutters and under decks.
- Have a plan and an emergency preparedness kit packed in case you need to evacuate quickly, especially if your home is near wildlands.”
- Monitor local media reports for updates on road closures, smoke conditions and other hazards.
- “Use extreme caution when grilling, camping and discarding cigarettes.
- Don’t use anything (i.e., lawn mowers) “that may create sparks outside on dry, windy days.
- “If you see something, say something!,” the advisory stresses. “Call 911 if you see fire in your area.
Should a wildfire occur, nearby residents are urged to follow the directions from authorities, which may include evacuations in localized areas, the release added.
For more information, visit scgov.net/fire.