Urgent wildfire warnings issued due to severe drought in Central Florida

In Lake County, Florida, as Public Safety Director Kilbury drove the News 6 team through Tavares, he expressed concerns about the potential escalation of an already active fire season due to the prevailing drought conditions.

Kilbury noted, “It has gradually been building up. Yesterday, there was a significant brush fire in Groveland that led to the activation of several fire stations for assistance.”

He mentioned that the initial report on the brush fire indicated it was 50 acres and spreading in multiple directions. Additionally, the difficult accessibility of the area posed an extra challenge for the firefighters, compounded by the dry conditions.

Perhaps the biggest challenge right now is the risk where natural lands and developed areas meet, what is called the wildland-urban interface (WUI).

“Humans are continuing to build homes in areas that have been native Florida, and they don’t realize that defensive space they need,” Kilbury said.

Another fire this past weekend started with a call to an abandoned structure and turned into a wildland fire. It’s an example of the fire danger in the WUI with the current dry conditions.

“Right now, we are very concerned,” Kilbury said.

Kilbury pointed out downed trees and dry leaves to showcase how much debris is on the forest floor right now. All of it is fuel for fires to grow rapidly.

“That’s where a fire starts,” Kilbury explained. “As a fire moves through here and it gets into bigger, larger logs, it creates a tremendous heat release that rapidly intensifies.”

Lake County is sending more trucks to reported wildland fires because of how brittle and dry Central Florida is right now.

Kilbury pointed out the crunch of the leaves as he picked up a bundle from the ground.

“It is literally like saltine crackers,” said Kilbury as the leaves crumbled. “If someone were to pull their car over in this debris to make a phone call, the heat from the catalytic converter could cause this to combust. And so, that’s the state we’re in.”

Kilbury said it showcases just how ripe to burn Lake County is right now. A fire could easily be started by a lawnmower or a discarded cigarette. And with so much fuel from downed trees and limbs after recent hurricanes, it doesn’t take much for a fire to spread.

“Florida goes from, you know, January and the winter months to the beginning of our rainy season, and right now the drought conditions with the amount of debris on the forest floor from last year’s hurricane is what has us concerned.”

The U.S. Drought Monitor shows parts of Lake, Marion, and Volusia counties are in “severe drought.”

A burn ban is in effect in Lake County where the Keetch-Byram Drought Index (KBDI) rating is over 500. Officials like Kilbury, who leads the public safety department, use it to measure when a ban is needed. It will take more rain for it to be lifted.

A burn ban prohibits the burning of yard debris, land for any reason, recreational fires, and unauthorized piles of debris not approved by the Florida Forest Service, according to Lake County.

“Right now, if you see smoke in an area that should not have smoke, call 911,” Kilbury said. “We would rather turn crews around.”

Kilbury encourages homeowners who live near natural lands to take precautions, including moving things away from the house and getting leaves and tree limbs away from roofs and cars. He said there should be defensive space between your home and any fire threat.

“We take precautions for a hurricane that’s coming in. We board up windows, we get loose patio stuff stored,” Kilbury said. “That’s the same thing we’re talking about here. Take precautions.”