15-04-2025
Lee becomes latest SW Florida county to enact burn ban. What that means for locals
Lee County has joined rest of Southwest Florida by enacting a burn ban.
Conditions here are drought-like, and the rainy season is at least a month away.
Collier, Charlotte, Glades and Hendry Counties have had burn bans in places for up to several weeks.
Lee became the first county this year to reach the 600-mark on the Florida Forestry Service's Keetch Bryam Drought Index, which ranges from 0 for saturated conditions to 800 for especially dry times.
"The county's ordinance bans 'outdoor burning ignition sources, including campfires, bonfires and trash burning," a press release from the county reads. "Grills for food are not included. Officials ask all county residents to be mindful of dry conditions and to use good judgment to mitigate potential for significant wildfires."
Wildfire season here runs from April to June, and all of south Florida is at 500 or above on the Keetch Byram Drought Index.
The eastern halves of Collier and Hendry counties are under a severe drought, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, or NOAA.
Lee, Charlotte and Glades are experiencing moderate drought, NOAA says.
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NOAA is also forecasting equal chances of above-average or below-average rainfall and above-average temperatures over the next three months.
There is no significant chance of rain over the next for the Fort Myers-Naples area, according to the National Weather Service.
This article originally appeared on Fort Myers News-Press: With drought index raging, Lee County issues local burn ban
