Latest news with #Keetch-ByramDroughtIndex
Yahoo
15-05-2025
- Climate
- Yahoo
Burn ban lifted in Orange County
Orange County has joined multiple other counties in lifting its recent outdoor burn ban. The lifted ban was for unincorporated areas and any municipalities that Orange County Fire Rescue services, including Edgewood, Belle Isle, Oakland and Eatonville. Burn bans are automatically instituted under Orange County's Fire Prevention and Protection Ordinance when the Keetch-Byram Drought Index meets or exceeds 500. The recent rainfall helped push the KBDI average below 500 for the seventh consecutive day, allowing the burn ban's cancelation. While recreational open burning may now resume, officials encourage safety and always having an ability to extinguish any fire that are started. For more information on what burning is allowed in Orange County, visit the Orange County Environmental Protection Division's website. Click here to download our free news, weather and smart TV apps. And click here to stream Channel 9 Eyewitness News live.
Yahoo
13-05-2025
- Climate
- Yahoo
Burn ban lifted in Osceola County
Osceola Fire Recue has announced that the burn ban in effect since April 27 has been lifted. The lift ordinance follows seven consecutive days of favorable changes to the Keetch-Byram Drought Index average in the county. Officials ask that residents continue exercising safe practices with any type of outdoor burning, cooking or fireworks. More information can be found at More counties have been lifting recent burn bans in light of the recent rainfall. Brevard County also lifted its burn ban this week. Click here to download our free news, weather and smart TV apps. And click here to stream Channel 9 Eyewitness News live.
Yahoo
12-05-2025
- Climate
- Yahoo
Rainy weather eases Central Florida drought and wildfire fears
After one of the driest Aprils on record, Central Florida has received enough rain in just the past few days to stem drought conditions and ease wildfire worries that started in late March. Through Sunday, a total of more than 4.3 inches of rain has fallen near downtown Orlando in May, according to the National Weather Service in Melbourne. The typical tally for the first eleven days of the month is about one inch. On Saturday, flights were delayed at Orlando International Airport because of heavy thunderstorms. The rainy skies are part of a weak cold front that has been moving across the southeastern United States carrying a line of showers through Central Florida, according to Tim Sedlock, a meteorologist with the weather service. In South Florida — which was under extreme drought conditions last week — the same weather system could dump as much as 10 inches of rain within a 24-hour period through Tuesday, according to the South Florida Sun-Sentinel. A flood watch was in effect for Miami and Fort Lauderdale. The rainy weather likely won't stick around Central Florida, however. The storm system is expected to move out of the region by early Tuesday. It will be replaced by drier and hotter conditions for the next several days, Sedlock said. But the May showers were welcomed after Central Florida experienced its driest April since 2017 and second driest since 1981, with less than half an inch of rain the entire month. Residents saw small ponds nearly dry and lawns turn brown. On May 1, there were 85 wildfires burning in Florida, but that number had dropped to 40 on Monday, including three blazes in Osceola County, according to the Florida Forest Service. Most were contained fires. 'That's good news for fire departments,' said Doreen Overstreet, a spokeswoman for the Seminole County Fire Department, of the several days of rain. Seminole's department in recent weeks moved trucks, equipment and manpower to wooded rural areas in case wildfires took spark. A week ago, Seminole and portions of Orange were experiencing moderate drought conditions. And portions of Lake, Volusia and Marion counties were labeled with extreme drought, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture's weekly drought monitor. The lack of rain coupled with higher-than-normal temperatures and breezy days led to Seminole, Orange, Osceola, Lake and Volusia counties to implement burn bans that prohibit lighting fires outdoors. Burn bans are automatically activated by Florida counties whenever the Keetch-Byram Drought Index — a scale that measures the dryness of the soil — reaches or exceeds 500. But as of Monday, the index showed Orange County was at 382, Osceola at 453, Seminole at 354 and Volusia at 439. Lake County, however, was just over 500. It's likely many of those burn bans will soon be lifted. 'Technically, we are not enforcing it,' Overstreet said of Seminole's burn ban that was put in place March 28. 'It expires on Thursday.' Orange's ban also would be lifted Thursday if its index remains under 500, according to county spokeswoman Kelly Finkelstein. When the storm system system moves out, high temperatures on Tuesday are forecast to reach 86 degrees, and the lows drop to 67, according to the weather service. Skies will be mostly sunny with a 20% chance of rain. On Wednesday, we can expect even warmer and drier conditions as high pressure slides into the area. Temperatures are expected to climb to 88 degrees and then drop to 67 at night. Then Thursday through Saturday, the forecast is for sunny weather with the temperatures reaching into the mid-90s each day. 'Most of the wet weather systems will be kept to the north,' Sedlock said. The region's official rainy season — when residents experience regular afternoon thunderstorms and thick humidity — doesn't start until May 27.
Yahoo
08-05-2025
- Climate
- Yahoo
Palm Bay fire officials say multiple wildfires across the city have been contained
All of the brush fires that Palm Bay, state and other agencies fought on Wednesday — including 250-to-300 acres of suspicious wildland blazes in the Compound and another set off in a homeless camp by a burning police car — have been put out or are contained, fire officials said. The big worry, however, is that southern Brevard remains in dry conditions with little relief in sight, said John Ringleb, spokesperson for Palm Bay Fire Rescue told FLORIDA TODAY. 'We're in near drought conditions for the next couple of days, so we're asking everyone to be vigilant,' Ringleb said, just days after Brevard County issued a burn ban. Palm Bay Fire Rescue crews battled back at least four major fires across the city Wednesday, April 24, with one that forced evacuations in a neighborhood in southeast Palm Bay and others with flames burning through dried-out vegetation at the Compound. A Palm Bay police officer suffered minor injuries while trying to put out his burning patrol car while checking in on a homeless camp set up behind homes off of Onyx Drive. "The cause of the vehicle fire is currently under review," Lt. Virginia Kilmer, spokeswoman for the Palm Bay Police Department. No other injuries or property damage was reported. Another blaze scorched the palms and pine trees at another homeless camp off of Interstate Court, just east of Interstate 95. The brush fires all were reported early in the afternoon, Wednesday, April 23, and quickly spread across five acres. A large black column of smoke from the fire could be seen for several miles. Smoke from the Compound fires — there were at least three separate blazes — could be seen for several miles. Spectators drove through the mostly abandoned area, parking along the craggy roads and watched as the Brevard County sheriff's office used bucket drops to battle back the fires. Ringleb said at least 30 Palm Bay firefighters were tasked with battling the blaze. The agency also had assistance from Brevard County, the Division of Forestry, the sheriff's office and Malabar. 'We had to allocate our resources very carefully,' Ringleb said, pointing out that there were other rescue calls the department had to handle at the same time. Fire crews continued to check the different sites through the night, knocking back hot spots and dousing smoldering vegetation. Some of the fires can burrow beneath the ground to get at dried out organic material beneath the surface, sometimes burning for days, fire experts point out. The Keetch-Byram Drought Index, which measures soil moisture, is at 500 out of 800, which means there is drought and an increased risk of fire danger, fire officials say. Last week, several small brush fires burned through portions of wildland along John Rodes Parkway in Melbourne. Officials have not determined a cause for those fires. Conditions continue to remain extremely dry across much of Brevard County, with temperatures hovering in the mid-80s with little chance of rain heading into the weekend. J.D. Gallop is a criminal justice/breaking news reporter at FLORIDA TODAY. Contact Gallop at 321-917-4641 or jgallop@ Twitter: @JDGallop. This article originally appeared on Florida Today: Palm Bay wildfires contained
Yahoo
05-05-2025
- Climate
- Yahoo
23 Florida counties under burn bans as drought conditions continue. See list of driest counties
More than 16 million people in Florida, 82% of the state, are suffering from drought conditions ranging from moderate to extreme, according to NOAA's National Integrated Drought Information System. Two areas of extreme drought exist in the state, with the largest in South Florida extending from coast to coast. ➤ Weather alerts via text: Sign up to get updates about current storms and weather events by location The drought is keeping the number of wildfires burning in the state high, with 88 burning Monday, May 5, according to the Florida Fire Service. There are 23 counties under burn bans, almost one-third of the state's 67 counties. The mean statewide drought index is at 478. NOAA's National Integrated Drought Information System said 82.2 percent of Florida is under drought conditions, ranging from moderate to extreme. ➤ '80% of homes lost to wildfires could have been saved.' Here's what you can do The breakdown of drought conditions in the state, which affects 16.6 million residents, is: Abnormally dry: 16.5% Moderate drought: 35.5% Severe drought: 29.9% Extreme drought: 16.9% Exceptional drought: 0% ➤ Maps: See drought conditions by county Western Panhandle, Pensacola: Sunny. High 78. Low 68. Central Panhandle, Tallahassee: Sunny. High 85. Low 60. Northeast Florida, Jacksonville: Sunny. High 88. Low 65. East Coast, Central Florida from Daytona Beach to Stuart: Sunny, chance for showers. High 87. Low 70. South Florida, West Palm Beach, Naples: Chance for showers and thunderstorms. High 81. Low 76. Southwest Florida, Fort Myers to Sarasota: Sunny. High 84. Low 69. The Keetch-Byram Drought Index mean for Florida was 478 on May 5. The drought index uses a scale from 0, which is very wet, to 800, which is very dry. As of May 1, there were 16 counties with a drought index over 600, which means severe drought conditions with an increased risk for wildfires: Broward Charlotte Collier DeSoto Glades Hardee Hendry Highlands Lake Lee Manatee Miami-Dade Monroe Palm Beach Sarasota Volusia According to the Florida Forest Service, as of May 2, 23 burn bans are in place for the following counties: Brevard Charlotte Citrus Collier DeSoto Flagler Glades Hardee Hendry Hernando Highlands Lake Lee Manatee Okeechobee Orange Osceola Pasco Polk Sarasota Seminole Sumter Volusia The open burning of yard debris is always prohibited in these counties: Duval Hillsborough Orange Pinellas We will continue to update our weather coverage as conditions warrant. Download your local site's app to ensure you're always connected to the news. And subscribe here. This article originally appeared on The Daytona Beach News-Journal: Florida drought. See list driest counties, rain forecast, burn bans
