Ashley Hunter
ECB Publishing, Inc.
Last weekend, the burn ban that had been enacted over Jefferson County ended.
While the burn ban has been canceled, the Jefferson County Fire Rescue (JCFR) advises that local citizens should still maintain caution and safe fire practices when burning in their backyards.
Burning household garbage is always illegal (not just under a burn ban).
Agricultural burning, acreage burning, land clearing through fire and burning piles larger than eight-feet in diameter all require a permit from the Florida Division of Forestry (FDF).
Never leave your burning yard debris fires unattended.
When burning in your yard, always have water and necessary tools and equipment at hand to control the fire.
Be sure to keep your fire the proper distance from tree-lines, roadways and structures when burning. The FDF advises fires be kept 25 feet from forests, 50 feet from paved public roads, 25 feet from your home and 150 feet from other structures.
When burning, it is advised to keep a cleared area of bare, exposed soil around the pile to prevent the fire from spreading to grass and other foliage.
Escaped debris fires are one of the leading causes of wildfires in Florida – although the burn ban has ended, continue to use caution when working with fire.
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