Wildfires

By AARON LONDON
Staff Writer

While the seasonable weather these days has put people in a holiday mood, officials with the Florida Division of Forestry and Flagler County are keeping a close eye on conditions.

The cooler -- and drier -- conditions have raised the county's drought index reading on the Keetch-Byram Drought Index above the 500 mark, which traditionally has been the point at which county officials have instituted a countywide burn ban. The Keetch-Byram index measures the relationship between drought and fire danger on a scale of zero to 800, with zero meaning total saturation and 800 indicating desert-like conditions.

But for now, county officials aren't ready to call for a ban on outdoor burning. Part of their decision to stand pat -- for now -- stems from the presence of water.

"We still have plenty of water in the swamps," said county spokesman Carl Laundrie. "We still have a fairly good situation. It's not as dangerous as it is in the spring when it is up to 500 and there's no water anywhere to be found."

Laundrie said for now, county leaders likely will make a decision on a burn ban if the drought index tops 550. He said while the index indicates there's a strong fire danger, conditions on the ground are not as severe.

"Conditions are in better shape than the numbers actually reflect," Laundrie said.

But that doesn't mean the potential for wildfires remains less of a threat.

While most people associate high fire danger with hot, dry conditions in the summer, current conditions can also be condusive to wildfires, said Timber Weller, wildfire mitigation specialist with the Florida Division of Forestry.

"People tend not to consider the possibility until the skies start filling with smoke," he said. "Our lovely Florida winter weather is sunny, breezy, dry with infrequent rain so the weather is setting up for it whether we recognize it or not."

Weller said this is also the time of year when people tend to do more things outdoors, especially after a long, hot summer.

Added to that falling leaves, which are not only a chore for homeowners to rake but also can provide fuel for wildfires, and a recipe for fire danger mixes together quickly.

"Up north, traditionally you would rake up leaves and burn them," Weller said. "It's kind of a cultural layover."

But in Florida, people don't realize that conditions can be very different, he said.

And that makes things like burning leaves potentially dangerous.

"All it takes is a gust of wind to blow that burning material out of the fire circle and it can be off in the brush and have a wildfire going real quickly," Weller said.

What can make things worse is that it usually starts in a neighborhood, which means homes are threatened almost immediately, he said.

Adding to Forestry officials' concerns is the long holiday weekend.

"More people planning either outdoor recreation or yard work increases the number of people that might do something that might cause a fire," Weller said.

For that reason, there will be more people on duty at the Division of Forestry than usual.

"We actually increase staffing when there is a three-day or four-day weekend," Weller said.

County officials will be watching the weather as well.

"We'll keep a close eye on it," Laundrie said. "And if conditions warrant, we're going to come forth with a burn ban."

Fifty-six firefighters spent Thanksgiving Day putting out hot spots on a wildfire 15 miles west of Fort Collins.

Crews had contained the Paradise fire, burning off Buckhorn Road, by 6 p.m. Wednesday.

The fire burned an estimated 90 acres of grass and ponderosa pine but no buildings.

Investigators believe bullet fragments sparked the fire in dry grass Monday.

Shooting is prohibited on that portion of the Roosevelt National Fore