Wildfire risk growing in Manatee

BRIAN BLANCO

A sign in front of the Braden River Fire Department on S. R. 70 in East Manatee warns passing motorists, Thursday, of the fire danger during times of drought. BRIAN BLANCO/bblanco@bradenton.com

By JESSICA KLIPA

jklipa@bradenton.com

Signs of rain from about a month ago are vanishing as ponds dry up and the sun chokes vegetation.

The rain that dampened the area helped ward off wildfire conditions for awhile.

"That's all been a welcome relief for us," said Danny Cacchiotti, fire chief for Myakka City Fire District. "We've been able to buy some time with it."

But because rain has been scarce since then and the ponds and lakes haven't recovered from last year's dry spell, fire officials are preparing for wildfire season until the rainy season arrives in June or July.

The Keetch-Byram Drought Index, which measures wildfire potential, shows Manatee County ranging from 450 to 499 on scale of 0 to 800, with 800 representing the driest conditions.

"It's like a sport. High numbers are bad," said Patrick Mahoney, Florida Division of Forestry wildfire mitigation specialist for the Myakka River District. "You want the golf score. You want that low number."

The drought index could show a number as high as 700, but when the humidity is 90 percent and there is little to no wind, wildfires are very unlikely.

Recently, the area has experienced the perfect recipe for wildfire conditions with high temperatures, low humidity and winds hitting 10 to 12 mph, Mahoney said.

Each day, the numbers on the drought index go up by 10 points.

"Last year, we were in worse condition at this time. But we are quickly climbing to where we were at this time last year," he said.

On Wednesday, officials responded to a fire in Charlotte County that ripped through a wooded area and burned about 200 acres. Between the wind shifting, picking up embers and tossing them at least a half-mile away, the fire quickly spread, cutting off the escape route.

Such fires are dangerous and often can be fought by taking precautionary measures.

People need to realize that with the dry conditions, now is the time to create a 30-foot space around their homes, clear our gutters and check the roof for debris, Mahoney said. They also should be careful with outdoor activities, including picnicking, riding four-wheelers, building campfires and mowing their yard.

Byron Teates, fire chief for East Manatee Fire District, said that 95 percent of the calls to the district that are not medical were caused by an accident, whether it involved a vehicle, machinery or fires that got away from someone.

"The bottom line is people need to be very diligent with open flames," Teates said. "When you have an individual who says I'm going to set this pile of stuff on fire and doesn't think anything about it, those are the ones that burn tens of thousands of acres a year."

With the dry medians, roadsides and ditches, people should also refrain from tossing their cigarettes out the window.

"We've been very lucky we haven't had a huge rash of brush fires even though the conditions have been right. The potential is certainly there," he said.

Jessica Klipa, Herald reporter, can be reached at 708-7906.