Updated Nov. 23, 2025
Laura Young
ECB Publishing, Inc.
Jefferson County has declared a Local State of Emergency and issued a temporary countywide burn ban due to ongoing exceptional drought conditions. This went into effect by a resolution of the Jefferson County Board of County Commissioners on Thursday, Nov. 19.
On Sunday, Nov. 22, Jefferson County Fire Rescue said, "If you have something to bur, it can wait. The risk to life and property is too great with the dry drought conditions. Secure safety chains of trailers so they do not spark on the roadway. Be aware of ATV use and parking in dry grass."
A large swath of the Big Bend has received only a minimal amount of rain since Sept. 1. As of Nov. 20, data released through the U.S. Drought Monitor indicated a range of drought conditions across Jefferson County. In the upper third of the county, roughly from I-10 north, there is Exceptional Drought (level D4), the highest rating. The middle third of the county is experiencing intensity level D3 (Extreme Drought), the second highest level on the scale; and the lower tip of the the county has a rating of D3 (Severe Drought). Other ratings on the scare are D1 (Moderate Drought), D0 (Abnormally Dry) and None.
Because of the drought conditions, Jefferson County Fire Rescue (JCFR) Chief Derrick Burrus has enacted a ban on all outdoor burning until further notice.
The announcement, made on Wednesday, Nov. 19, specified that “the setting of fires to any debris piles, grass, brush or forest covered land, unless authorized by the Florida Forest Service, shall constitute a violation of law.” This followed an announcement on Nov. 10 of “Red Flag conditions” with an advisory of “no outdoor burning.” The JCFR notice does, however, allows for “ordinary grilling.”
With no significant rain on the horizon, conditions will only further worsen. Rainfall changes begin to increase around Wednesday, Nov. 26.
The U.S. Drought Monitor (USDM) is produced through a partnership between the National Drought Mitigation Center at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, the U.S. Dept. of Agriculture and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. USDM updates can be viewed at droughtmonitor.unl.edu. For local updates from JCFR, follow the Jefferson County Fire Rescue page on Facebook.