Okaloosa County implements burn ban due to high fire risk

OKALOOSA COUNTY, Fla. — Okaloosa County has a burn ban in effect.

The Okaloosa County Board of County Commissioners (BCC) passed a local state of emergency on Tuesday, October 31, giving it the authority to enact a burn ban for Okaloosa County, effective immediately.

This ban prohibits outdoor burning in Okaloosa County, including:

• All outdoor burning of any combustible material
• Bonfires
• Campfires
• Warming fires
• Outdoor fireplaces
• Chimney
• Cooking fire, unless it is exclusively within a contained, attended, and monitored gas or charcoal grill

The burn ban will be in place for seven days and may be extended as necessary in seven-day increments.

Given the risk that the current and predicted weather conditions pose to Okaloosa County residents, commissioners said they decided that it was necessary to take appropriate action to ensure their safety.

Conditions include low humidity, increased wind, and a lack of precipitation.

“The safety of our residents is a top priority for the county,” said Okaloosa County Board Chairman Trey Goodwin.

“Enacting a burn ban is a tool for us to avoid any potential harm that may come from our current weather situation and is the appropriate action to take to prevent human-caused wildfires.”

Anyone found guilty of violating the burn ban can be charged with a second-degree misdemeanor. Upon notification of suspected burning, firefighters will respond to the scene and take immediate measures to contain and/or extinguish the fire, the BCC said in an announcement.

The National Weather Service has issued a fire weather watch for Okaloosa and surrounding counties. A fire weather watch means that critical fire weather conditions are forecast to occur. Stay current on weather conditions at https://www.weather.gov/mob/.

For tips on how to be wildfire-ready and for more information about the Florida Forest Service, go to https://www.fdacs.gov/Forest-Wildfire/Wildland-Fire/Fire-Prevention/Be-Wildfire-Ready.