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June 23, 2008
Shelley Szafraniec, APR
Community Information Specialist

VOLUSIA COUNTY FIRE SERVICES LIFTS BURN BAN; ENCOURAGES SAFETY FOR JULY 4 HOLIDAY WEEKEND

Fire officials are starting to breathe a little easier in Volusia County. A combination of summer afternoon showers and the rain over the past couple of days has eased the recent drought conditions. Volusia County’s average drought index has dropped to 352 as of Monday, June 23, according to Jamey Burnsed, Volusia County Fire Services wildfire mitigation specialist. (The drought index goes from zero - 800, with zero being total saturation and 800 being desert dry.)

Due to the current conditions, effective Tuesday, June 24, Volusia County Fire Services Director James Tauber is lifting the outdoor burn ban for the unincorporated areas of Volusia County and the cities of DeBary, Pierson, Oak Hill and Lake Helen.

“While we still have some small areas in the county that are dry, the drought conditions are subsiding overall,” said Burnsed. “With the public’s continued vigilance and more of these afternoon rain showers, hopefully we’ll put this wildfire season behind us. However, if we begin to see a decline in the rainfall there is a chance we will have to reinstitute the burn ban.”

As families prepare for the Fourth of July holiday weekend, fire officials are encouraging common sense fire safety and caution as it only takes one spark in a dry area to cause a wildfire.

According to the State Fire Marshal's Office, anyone using fireworks must have a permit from their local government or for certain agricultural purposes be exempted by law. It is illegal in Florida to use fireworks, which include shells and mortars, multiple tube devices, Roman candles, rockets and firecrackers, when such use is not in strict compliance with Chapter 791.012, Florida Statutes.

Floridians should not sign "waivers" to purchase fireworks. Signing a waiver will not clear persons of responsibility should they be caught illegally using fireworks, which is a first-degree misdemeanor punishable by up to one year in jail and a $1,000 fine.

In 2006, an estimated 9,200 people were treated at hospital emergency rooms for firework-related injuries, according to the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA.). More than half (55 percent) of the injuries were burns and approximately 30 percent were contusions or lacerations. The risk of fireworks injury was two-and-a-half times higher for children ages 10-14. Fireworks also cause approximately 25,000 grass, brush, dumpster and other fires each year. The NFPA reports that more fires are reported on Independence Day than any other day, with half of the fires believed to have been caused by fireworks.

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