Burn Ban Issued In Pasco County

NEW PORT RICHEY, FL — Pasco County residents with plans to burn garbage or light up bonfires will have to change them. Commissioners voted on Wednesday to approve a countywide burn ban in light of wildfires that have cropped up in Pasco and across the Sunshine State in recent days.

“Multiple brush fires across Pasco County in the last week made a burn ban necessary,” county spokesman Doug Tobin wrote in an email announcing the April 12 decision. The ban went into effect immediately after the commission’s vote.

Under the rules of the burn ban, residents are not allowed to set fires or cause fires without obtaining a permit from the Florida Forest Service for burning in unincorporated parts of the county. The ban includes:

• Open burning
• Camp and bonfires
• Yard waste and garbage fires
• Fireworks with the exception of noisemakers and sparklers

It is OK for residents to continue to cook on grills that contain flames at this time, Tobin noted.

Pasco County Fire Rescue officials are warning residents need to be aware that simple behaviors, such as tossing a cigarette into grass or idling a vehicle over grass, can spark brush fires.

“The county is so dry that these brush fires can spread quickly, threatening homes and businesses,” the email noted. The penalty for lighting up under the ban is a fine of up to $500 or up to 60 days in jail.

With more than 100 wildfires burning across the state, Gov. Rick Scott on Tuesday declared a state of emergency. The National Weather Service is forecasting a streak of hot, sunny days throughout Pasco County. Rain is not in the cards through the weekend at least.

To find out more about the county’s burn ban, visit Pasco County online.

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