Drought conditions trigger new action about three weeks after late 2024 ban lifted
On March 26 — just 22 days after the Sarasota County Fire Department lifted a burn ban that had been in effect since Dec. 28. 2024 — the department reported that it was necessary to put the ban back in place.
As a March 26 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.”
The mean KBDI for Sarasota County as of March 25 was 503, as noted on the website of the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services. The minimum level recorded was 388, while the maximum was 589, a chart showed.
On March 25, the KBDI for Manatee County stood at 500, the chart noted.
On March 3, the KBDI put Sarasota County’s mean drought index value at 474, with 369 as the minimum and 548 as the maximum, also as shown on webpages maintained by the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services.
As those state webpages explain, “The Keetch-Byram drought index (KBDI) is a continuous reference scale for estimating the dryness of the soil and duff layers. The index increases for each day without rain (the amount of increase depends on the daily high temperature) and decreases when it rains. The scale ranges from 0 (no moisture deficit) to 800. 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 March 26 Fire Department advisory stressed, “All outdoor burning is prohibited unless a permit has been issued and is applicable for the unincorporated areas of Sarasota County and the City of Sarasota.”
Exceptions to the directive include cooking on barbeque grills or pits that do not exceed 3 feet in diameter and 2 feet in height, “or any other valid state or county-authorized burn,” the release points out.
The burn ban automatically will be lifted after the drought index falls below 500 for seven consecutive days, the Fire Department advisory noted. “This announcement will be made on scgov.net” and on Sarasota County social media pages, the advisory added.
The members 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 space around your home or business.”
- Clear trash and dead vegetation from yards.
- Remove leaves and debris from roofs and gutters and from beneath 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 for updates on road closures, smoke conditions and other hazards.
- “Use extreme caution when grilling, camping and discarding cigarettes.
- “Don’t use anything” (such as lawn mowers) “that may create sparks outside on dry, windy days.
- “If you see something, say something! Call 911 if you see fire in your area.”
The advisory also points out, “Should a wildfire occur, nearby residents are urged to follow the directions from authorities, which may include evacuations in localized areas.”
For more information, the news release says, visit scgov.net/fire.