BY TRACY LEE TATE
Special to the Times
It is very dry in Union County at present, creating a situation where brush fires are occurring more frequently than usual. As of press time, a burn ban has not been declared for the county but is a definite possibility if the dry conditions persist.
According to figures provided by Union County Fire Department Public Information Officer Mickey Foster, there were 22 brush fires reported in 2024, but already in 2025 there have been 19. These included small brush, garbage, yard waste, fields and other miscellaneous fires.
EMS/Fire Director Toby Witt said that, despite all the rain, the hurricanes that passed through the area recently hurt the situation more than helped it. In addition, the recent frosts have killed vegetation, which has dried out and become more potential fuel.
“The storms created a lot of debris, all of which has not been cleaned up,” Witt said.
The trick to preventing brush fire is not difficult, Witt said. Cleaning up all debris on a property, getting all burns approved by forestry, checking the weather forecast, and postponing the burn if wind is predicted. Fire should be limited to eight feet in diameter; anything larger requires a permit. Fires are required to be at least 25 ft. from the home on the property and 150 ft. away from the neighboring properties. Burn barrels should be used whenever possible. Local restrictions on burning should be determined. Yard waste may be legally burned, but it is illegal to burn household waste and trash.
The greatest key to fire safety is to consult with the Division of Forestry when planning a burn. For a fire over 8 ft. in diameter, foresters will often access the area and inform the person responsible for the burn on what mitigation will be needed on site should any problem occur.
To help protect your home, gutters should be kept cleaned out and leaves and other yard debris removed. Dead landscaping plants should be removed from the vicinity of the home. Outside water sources should be available, equipped with hoses long enough that any point around the home may be reached with water. Shovels should be kept handy to move debris and smother fires.
For more information about preventing brush fires, check out the Fire Wise page on the Florida Department of Agriculture’s website.
