PASCO COUNTY, FL — Pasco County residents are once again free to enjoy campfires, burn yard waste and light up legal fireworks. The Pasco County Commission on Tuesday made the decision to lift its ban on outdoor burning “in its entirety, effective immediately.”
According to Pasco County spokeswoman Tambrey Laine, the removal of the ban means residents are free to resume normal activities, such as burning yard materials, “but are encouraged to follow safe burning practices to prevent wildfires.”
The county put a ban on outdoor burning in place in April as wildfires plagued much of the state. With heavy rain again falling across Florida, the number of active wildfires across the state had dropped to 60 as of Tuesday, down from more than 145 only a few weeks ago, according to the Florida Forest Service.
Find out what's happening in Land O' Lakesfor free with the latest updates from Patch.
“Pasco County Parks, Recreation and Natural Resources is also rescinding its county-wide burn ban; however, parks staff reserves the right to reinstate a no-open flame policy (campfires) on a day-to-day basis depending on the Fire Danger Index on any given day,” Laine reported on June 6.
Park staff will let campers know if open fires are allowed or not during the reservation process, Laine added.
Find out what's happening in Land O' Lakesfor free with the latest updates from Patch.
To find out more about fire conditions and fire safety, visit Pasco County Fire Rescue online.
Keep up with what’s happening by following Land O’ Lakes Patch on Facebook.
Image via Shutterstock
Get more local news delivered straight to your inbox. Sign up for free Patch newsletters and alerts.
