Lake is the most recent Central Florida County to impose an outdoor burn ban because drought conditions have increased the risk of wildfires.
In the first three months of the year, the National Weather Service reports that Leesburg got only 22% of normal rainfall. And recent cooler weather and a little rain haven’t changed the situation that much.
Lake County Public Safety Director David Kilbury said the ban is a science-based decision using the Keetch Byram Drought Index. The index ranges from 0 to 800. It considers the dryness of the soil and the forest's top layer of decayed organic material.
That layer, called the duff, is normally dark and damp. When the index is over 500, it’s dry and dusty.
Normally a bonfire's stray ember is no threat, Kilbury said. "But when we're in this tinder dry condition, an ember through an unintended campfire or something that gets out of control can rapidly, exponentially cause extreme fire growth."
Only when the drought index drops below 500 will Lake County lift the burn ban.
Similar bans are also in place for Seminole, Orange, Osceola, Polk and Brevard counties.
