Hillsborough County has decided to extend its emergency burn ban for a second consecutive week due to persisting warm temperatures and a lack of rainfall, increasing the risk of wildfires in the area. This ban prohibits all forms of outdoor open burning excluding a few specific cases, such as a supervised barbecue grill which is used for outdoor cooking and certain agricultural controlled burns for disposable materials like agricultural plastic. This information comes from an executive order signed by County Administrator Bonnie Wise yesterday, as reported by the official Hillsborough County website.
According to this order, the county is currently in a state of local emergency where outdoor open burning poses too great a risk. There's a ban in place that includes fireworks, sparklers, and use of fire pits, aiming to reduce any potential triggers for wildfires. However, in an effort to not disrupt local customs and routines too severely, residents may continue to safely grill outdoors provided they consistently attend to the flame and keep it within the grill. Although the order has limitations on its duration, only legally able to last for up to seven days, it may be subject to extensions should conditions not improve and necessitate further caution.
Alongside these restrictions, the county website offers guidance on safety tips to further mitigate fire risks, such as removing flammable materials from around homes and ensuring that firewood is stored at a safe distance from occupied structures. These precautions are aimed at both protecting properties and assisting emergency responders in effectively combating fire-related emergencies. Another critical safety tip includes knowing the nearest firefighting water source to your home or building, which can prove invaluable in a crisis.
The decision to allow the burning of agricultural plastics is backed by state statute, permitting this action on weekdays between the hours of 7:30 a.m. and 7:30 p.m., a necessity for farmers to meet crucial agricultural timelines. Officials maintain that such burns are conducted without producing embers that could potentially start fires elsewhere, a consideration taken seriously to ensure to not inadvertently exacerbate the county's fire concerns. All agricultural burns must be supervised by a field manager and are restricted to open fields away from structures as mentioned on the county's official notice.
Residents and visitors are encouraged to register for HCFL Alert, Hillsborough County's public notification system, which provides updates related to the burn ban and other important information on local emergencies.
