Hillsborough County’s outdoor burn ban just won’t quit. The emergency restriction on open burning has now been extended for the eighth straight week, after County Administrator Bonnie Wise signed a fresh executive order on yesterday.
By law, local emergency orders can only run seven days at a time, so county staff will keep revisiting the decision every week, weighing the weather and fire danger before hitting reset again. For now, officials say the ongoing ban is aimed at protecting homes, farms and conservation lands as a stubborn dry spell leaves brush and grass far easier to ignite than anyone would like.
According to Hillsborough County, Wise’s executive order yesterdayformally renews the county’s local state of emergency and keeps the prohibition on outdoor open burning in place. The county notes that drought conditions are expected to stay “high to very high” through March. Statewide, officials report 1,141 forest and brush fires since January, burning more than 68,461 acres.
The order does not just cover backyard bonfires. It specifically bans fireworks, sparklers and fire pits as well, carving out only narrow exceptions that must be closely supervised.
What’s banned, and who can still light a grill
The burn ban applies to most recreational and debris fires, but it does leave a few doors open. As reported by the Tampa Free Press, residents can still use outdoor grills for cooking, with some strings attached. The flames have to be fully contained, and someone has to stay with the grill the entire time it is in use.
Certain agricultural operations in the county’s southern and eastern areas can also continue burning agricultural plastic on weekdays from 7:30 a.m. to 7:30 p.m. That comes with conditions: a field supervisor must be on site, and the burning must take place in open fields to help keep embers from drifting where they should not go.
Why officials say the danger is rising
Local fire officials are not just being cautious for sport. Weather and vegetation are teaming up for a much riskier fire season than usual. Spectrum Bay News 9 has reported that an unusually dry winter, combined with recent freeze damage, has left brush brittle and primed to burn as the region moves into spring fire season.
The U.S. Drought Monitor map released March 5 shows large swaths of Florida in severe to extreme drought. County leaders point to those national drought indicators when deciding whether to extend the local emergency order yet again.
How residents can help keep fires from starting
County and fire officials are urging residents to treat their yards and driveways like the front line against wildfires. Recommended steps include clearing dead leaves from rain gutters, keeping firewood stacked at least 30 feet away from any structure, and making sure cigarette butts go into proper receptacles instead of onto the ground.
Drivers are also being warned not to park vehicles on tall, dry grass, since a hot engine or exhaust system can be enough to ignite vegetation under the right conditions.
For official alerts, residents can sign up for the HCFL Alert notification system, and anyone who spots an active brush fire is urged to call 9-1-1 immediately.
The emergency order will continue to be reviewed every week and could be extended again as long as drought and fire danger stay elevated. For more on how the restrictions began and why they keep getting renewed, see earlier reporting on rising wildfire risks.
