NORTH PORT – The city of North Port issued a burn ban Tuesday, banning outdoor campfires, land clearing and stack burning. This brings the city in line with a similar ban issued earlier this month in unincorporated Sarasota County and the cities of Sarasota and Venice.
Sarasota County and most of Manatee and Charlotte counties are in “moderate drought,” according to the latest information from the US Drought Monitor.
Sarasota County is well above the score of 600 on the Keetch-Byram Drought Index, a continuous benchmark for soil drought on a scale of 0-800.
Sarasota County and Venice implemented their burn bans in early May when the index exceeded 500. North Port uses the same criteria as the Florida Forest Service, which calls for a ban when the index is between 575 and 600.
North Port Fire Chief Scott Titus said the index in the city was at 610 on Tuesday.
Christianne Pearce, a forecaster with the National Weather Service in Ruskin, said Sarasota and Manatee received four inches less rain than normal from March 1 through May 22, and the forecast calls for more dry weather.
“Unfortunately, the dry pattern continues for most of this week,” Pearce said. “We just have a high-pressure system above us, which keeps us warm and dry.”
The best chance for rain is between May 29 and 30, Pearce said.
“And honestly, the chance is only 30-40%,” she added:
A press release from North Port Fire Rescue noted that Titus had determined that there is now an extraordinary fire danger due to the drought and fire danger.
It noted that Sarasota County has received just 8% of average precipitation this month and is 30% behind year-to-date totals.
North Port’s burn ban does not affect permits issued by the Florida Forest Service and outdoor cooking in approved gas or charcoal grills is permitted.
“With the weekend coming up and people doing a lot of picnics and barbecues, you have to be very careful how you handle your coals, if you use charcoal,” Titus said.
“Be extra diligent out there until we get some rain. It is extra dry there and the smallest spark could start a fire,” he added.
While the exact cause of Monday’s fire that occurred along the Interstate 75 corridor near the Border Road overpass has not yet been determined, Titus said roadside fires can be caused by anything from a discarded cigarette to sparks emitted generated by a metal edge after a car has been hit. loses a tire – something he said happened a few weeks ago in North Port.
While it’s too early to speculate whether the dry conditions could impact Fourth of July fireworks celebrations, Titus said people should be aware of local ordinances for in-person celebrations over Memorial Day weekend.
“I’m sure people want to celebrate Memorial Day weekend because it’s a holiday weekend,” Titus said. “We recommend not lighting fireworks, especially given the circumstances.”
This article originally appeared on Sarasota Herald-Tribune: Precipitation deficit causes moderate drought as North Port imposes fire ban
