BRADENTON, Fla. — Manatee County leaders on Monday imposed a countywide burn ban amid ongoing drought conditions and the risk of wildfires.
The ban, effective immediately, prohibits the use of all outdoor burning and the use and discharge of fireworks and sparklers, according to a news release.
Much of the Tampa Bay region is considered abnormally dry or in a moderate to severe drought, the latest U.S. Drought Monitor report shows. The worst conditions are located across parts of Sarasota County, where a brush fire over the weekend prompted the temporary closure of Interstate 75.
"We’ve been in discussion with the Fire Chief’s Association, as well as the Department of Forestry, in regard to the current drought conditions throughout the county," Manatee County Director of Public Safety Jodie Fiske said in a statement. "It is recommended that we declare a burn ban within Manatee County."
The following uses are allowed in Manatee County:
- Outdoor cookers or grills if they are always attended by a responsible adult while the unit is in use
- Any agricultural, silvicultural or land-clearing burn that has been authorized by the Florida Forest Service and it has been determined that there will be sufficient fire suppression equipment and personnel on site
- Properly permitted public fireworks displays with adequate fire suppression equipment and personnel on site
- Flares discharged over the Gulf of Mexico
Higher rain chances this week should help some areas pick up much-need rainfall, though showers and storms are forecast to be hit-or-miss for much of the Tampa Bay area.