PLANT CITY, Fla. — This week marks the official start of Florida’s wildfire season.
Despite a wet winter, the Florida Forestry Service says the state has already seen more than 500 wildfires since the beginning of the year.
That’s why forestry workers and Agriculture Commissioner Wilton Simpson have issued a reminder that while we are no longer in a drought, we can’t let our guard down.
“All it takes is two or three weeks of dry conditions here in Florida and our wildfire activity is going to pick up significantly,” Florida Forestry Service Director Rick Dolan said.
This year, forestry workers also have a new tool: a small fleet of drones.
The drones are capable of flying in conditions that would usually ground manned aircraft and can even be remotely controlled to drop self-igniting pods to light backfires in dense areas that humans can't reach.
“They have excellent camera systems on them. They have infrared cameras so you can really see if there are any hotspots outside of the fire brakes,” Dolan said.
Forestry workers say human beings are still responsible for most fires. The majority are arson or people leaving burning debris unattended.
“We’re steadily making sure that we have the right training, the right equipment, the right resources to fight these fires,” Simpson said. “But we will remind everybody - the best fire is to not have one in the first place.”
Forestry workers say the public can play a role in helping to prevent wildfires this season.
They recommend clearing roofs of any flammable debris, clearing out vegetation to create a buffer around homes, and whether it’s barbecuing or burning, they say be sure to have enough water nearby to extinguish it completely.
Forestry workers also say our unusually wet winter and calm winds gave them time to clear nearly 2,000,000 acres of brush in Florida this past year. That accounts for about 20% of the total number of acres cleared nationwide.