HERNANDO COUNTY, Fla.- Officials in Brooksville have officially pulled back the county-wide burn ban following a significant shift in local weather patterns and fire activity.
Effective immediately, the restriction is lifted for all unincorporated areas of Hernando County and the City of Brooksville.
The decision comes after a noticeable dip in the Keetch-Byram Drought Index, a metric used by fire officials to gauge soil moisture and fire risk.
Recent weeks have brought enough consistent rainfall to saturate the ground and lower the threat level, leading to a “reduced number of brush fire responses” across the region. With the landscape holding more moisture, the high-risk conditions that prompted the ban have subsided.
While the restriction is over, residents aren’t exactly getting a free-for-all. Local authorities noted that “citizens are free to resume burning within the setbacks and regulations set forth by the Florida Forest Service.”
This means that while the emergency ban is gone, standard state safety rules regarding distance from structures and fire containment still apply.
Local fire crews will continue to monitor the index as the season progresses, but for now, the drop in emergency calls and the increase in precipitation have provided enough of a safety buffer to return to normal operations.
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