A weekend backyard burn in Bartow ended with a high school teacher in handcuffs and roughly five acres scorched, after flames that started inside an old refrigerator escaped and ran across nearby land, according to deputies. The Sunday fire on Cox Road drew both firefighters and law enforcement and unfolded while Polk County is under a burn ban amid a run of brush fires across central Florida.
How deputies say the fire started
Polk County deputies arrived on Cox Road to find Polk County Fire Rescue crews already fighting a brush fire that had spread beyond a homeowner's yard. Deputies say 57-year-old Brian Webster told them he had been burning cardboard boxes and other debris inside an old refrigerator, watching the burn until he believed it was out, before the fire jumped containment and grew to about five acres, as reported by ClickOrlando.
Official reaction
Polk County Sheriff Grady Judd said the incident is a textbook example of why the countywide burn ban is in place, pointing out that Governor Ron DeSantis has already declared a state of emergency over extreme drought conditions. "Property and lives are at risk, and we will charge people appropriately," Judd said in a release, as reported by FOX 13.
Charges and booking
Deputies say Webster was taken to the Sheriff’s Processing Center and booked on several misdemeanors, including reckless land burning, burning during a state of emergency, reckless or careless pollution, and violating the county burn ban, according to local reporting by AOL. Officials have not released information about bond or reported any details on injuries tied to the blaze.
School district responds
Polk County Public Schools confirmed it was notified that Webster, identified by district officials as an ESE teacher at Bartow High, is facing misdemeanor charges. The district said it will review the case and take any action it deems appropriate, and it urged residents to comply with the countywide burn ban while also thanking local fire crews for their response, as reported by ClickOrlando.
Why the burn ban matters
State officials declared a state of emergency this month because of unusually severe drought, and agencies say the 2026 fire season is off to an active start, with hundreds of wildfires already logged. Those conditions have pushed counties across Florida to adopt burn bans and issue sharp warnings to residents about outdoor burning, per reporting by Fox Weather.
What comes next
The Polk County Sheriff’s Office says the case remains under active investigation, and the school district has not released any further details about potential disciplinary steps involving Webster. Officials are reminding residents that open burning is off-limits while the county ban is in effect and urging people to call 911 immediately if they see smoke or an uncontained fire.
