Drought expected to prolong chance of wildfires for months

As Gov. Rick Scott declared a state of emergency Tuesday due to the recent surge in wildfires, the Florida Forest Service’s Myakka River District is expecting the dry conditions to continue until summer.

“This is the highest fire danger time in the year,” said Patrick Mahoney, wildfire mitigation specialist for the Myakka River District, which services Manatee, Sarasota and three other counties.

Because Florida has a 12-month growth cycle, there’s a 12-month fire season. But late winter and early spring are the driest times of the year. According to the Florida Forest Service, a wildfire can happen when two weeks pass without rain.

According to the National Drought Mitigation Center, the inland portion of Myakka River District’s coverage area, including DeSoto, Hardee and Charlotte counties, is in a severe drought. While Manatee and Sarasota counties are listed as in a moderate drought, Mahoney said the harsher conditions are creeping in.

The National Significant Wildland Fire Potential Outlook issued on April 1 predicts the entire state of Florida will have abnormally dry conditions until June, abutting hurricane season. Due to the current conditions, the Florida Forest Service Myakka River District is not allowing pile burns, which require permission if the pile is greater than 8-feet by 8-feet.

So far this year, Manatee has had nine wildfires that burned 82 acres. Sarasota has had 17 fires, burning 97 acres. From January through March throughout the district, there have been 67 wildfires burning more than 2,400 acres. In 2013, there were 70 fires during the same time period, but they only burned 1,565 acres.

According to Gov. Scott, more than 100 fires in the state are currently burning more than 23,000 acres. This acreage is 250 percent more than the same time last year.

Manatee County officials say they are monitoring the fire situation, but there currently are no plans to activate the county Emergency Operations Center.

“We will continue to monitor conditions and will make changes to our activation levels should the need arise,” said county Emergency Management Chief Sherylin Burris.

On standby at the Myakka River District office on 53rd Avenue West is ranger Eugene Clark, a 27-year veteran of the Florida Forest Service. He said Manatee and Sarasota counties have been in dire need of some precipitation.

To prepare to combat wildfires, listening to nature is key, Clark said. The perfect concoction for wildfires includes dry weather, higher winds, low humidity and high dispersion.

“We’re just not getting the rains,” he said. “What little bit of rains we get only lasts a few hours, and then the winds come right behind it and dries it all out like it didn’t even rain.”

Most of the fires typically happen in the afternoon and inland, he said.

“You throw a cigarette out, it won’t catch,” Clark said of the current drought state. “But one little spark from a guy burning some trash in his yard can spark a fire 20 feet away, 30 feet away.”

Some of the causes of this year’s wildfires in Manatee and Sarasota counties include lightning strikes, unauthorized pile burns, a plane crash in early March that killed two people and, in North Port, two children started a fire that burned a tenth of an acre. Echoing the words of Smokey Bear, Mahoney said that 95 percent of wildfires can be prevented.

He suggested making sure fires are completely out before leaving them unattended, or even having a hose on hand while burning piles. It’s even possible that lawn mowers will ignite grass. Mahoney added that cleaning roofs and gutters is important so houses don’t become fuel sources.

“Just be smart. Be careful,” Clark said.

This story was originally published April 11, 2017 at 3:01 PM with the headline "Drought expected to prolong chance of wildfires for months."