Sign of drought ending: Lee County burn ban ends
Lee County commissioners lifted the burn ban today (June 3) that's been in place since April 15.
According to the Florida Forest service the Keetch-Byram Drought Index has dropped to under 500 after recent rains. A burn ban is prompted by a measurement more than 600.
County Attorney Richard Wesch told commissioners the ban would expire on June 5 without their action, but a motion by Chairman Kevin Ruane to end it immediately was passed unanimously.
Under the ban no open burring was allowed except for grilling food.
Officials encourage residents who need to burn to do so responsibly and follow rules for burning. Information is available from the Florida Forest Service at https://www.fdacs.gov/content/download/4743/file/know_the_law.pdf.
City residents should check their city's website in case more restrictive rules exist.
This article originally appeared on Fort Myers News-Press: Drought index drops - so does Lee County burn ban
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