JACKSON COUNTY, Fla. (WTXL) — The Jackson County Board of Commissioners have lifted the burn ban for Jackson County.
The ban was originally put in place in September. The area has received rain over the last couple of days, which allowed officials to lift the ban on Wednesday afternoon.
Following weekend brush fire, burn ban issued for Jackson County until further notice
Another day and still no rain. This is causing many counties across the Big Bend to grow increasingly more concerned about wildfire risks, especially in Jackson County.
On Monday, commissioners unanimously passed a county-wide burn ban.
When Hurricane Michael tore through Jackson County, it left a lot of debris in its wake and now, almost one year later, that debris is the real story of Michael's long lasting impact on the county.
"The reason I was pushing for this is cause we have so much debris on the ground and this is what I feared when the storm came through and I was telling everyone we may see this condition and it's coming true," said Jim Peacock, Jackson County Commissioner.
Jackson County leaders placed a county-wide burn ban because of the little amount of moisture and debris left over from Hurricane Michael.
"There's thousands of acres of trees on the ground and all it takes is for those to start and we are in trouble," said Peacock.
Conditions in Jackson County continue to worsen, and firefighters say there is no end in sight.
"Since Friday the 20th, we've responded to 32 outdoor fires in the county and since the 13th we've responded to 52 outdoor fires," said Charles Brunner, with Jackson County Fire Rescue. "We don't foresee conditions improving at least for the next 10 days according to the weather."
Jackson County Fire Rescue says the county needs at least an inch of rain before this ban can be lifted.
"The fuel is there. If a fire starts it'll go through this county like crazy. They'll never stop it," said Peacock.
The ban prohibits any type of outside burning within the county. If you have questions, you can call the Jackson County Commissioners Office at 850-482-9633.
Following weekend brush fire, burn ban issued for Jackson County until further notice
Record breaking heat and lingering debris left behind by Hurricane Michael has led commissioners to issue a burn ban for Jackson County.
County commissioners held an emergency meeting Monday morning to discuss a burn ban for the county following a brush fire Sunday morning.
Commissioners passed the motion 4-0. The ban will be place until the Florida Forest Service seems it safe to life it.
The community is still feeling the effects of Hurricane Michael, almost a year later as it struggles to keep fires under control.
Officials say an excavator sparked and caught fire off Blount Road Sunday morning. Crews say the dry heat and lack of rain made the flames spread quickly to the surrounding trees.
We're told no one was hurt in that fire. But about 57 acres burned.
Florida Forest Service (FFS) says debris left from Hurricane Michael made things even worse.
"It is definitely a factor, all of the material that was down almost a year ago, is on the ground, cured out and dried out so it makes the fire a little hotter a little more dangerous and harder to put a line in so it makes things harder for us and everybody else," said Steve Oswalt, a FFS supervisor.
It took most of the day for crews to finally put that fire out. Multiple crews responded, including Sneads and Jackson County Fire Rescue.
