Brush fires continued to burn on the Treasure Coast as residents were advised to take precautions during very dry conditions.
Three wildfires were reported Feb. 25 — with one in each county — and were contained by the late afternoon of Feb. 26, said Florida Forest Service wildfire mitigation specialist David Grubich.
“We’ve been managing to keep them small,” Grubich said. “That’s a big thing right now considering how dry it is.”
In St. Lucie County, a 10-acre brush fire in Savannas Preserve State Park east of Indian River Estates near Fort Pierce was fully contained by mid-day, Grubich said. The fire came close to homes and properties, but firefighters were able to stop it effectively and prevent evacuations.
Southwest winds blew the fire toward the saltwater marsh and put itself half-out, he said, and firefighters worked to put out the other half.
In Martin County, a 45-acre brush fire on Southwest Fox Brown Road near Indiantown was fully contained at about 3:30 p.m., Grubich said. The fire burned in the woods, and no structures were threatened.
Part of it was in a slough and difficult to access, he said, so equipment kept getting stuck.
In Indian River County, a 192-acre brush fire south of State Road 60 near Vero Beach was fully contained as of 9 a.m., Grubich said. The fire burned grass, and no structures were threatened.
Burn bans remain in effect across the Treasure Coast in response to extremely dry conditions and lack of rainfall.
The Florida Forest Service uses the Keetch-Byram drought index to estimate the dryness of the soil and duff layers. The index increases each day without rain and decreases when it rains. The scale ranges from 0 to 800, with 800 being the driest.
As of Feb. 26, the drought index in Martin and St. Lucie counties was high at 650 while Indian River County wasn’t far behind at 600.
The next chance for rain showers and isolated storms arrives late Feb. 27 and into the next day as a weak front stalls over the state, according to the National Weather Service in Melbourne.
The probability of specific amount ranges from a 45% chance for a quarter-inch of rain to a 5% chance for 1 inch of rain for the Treasure Coast, but any amount helps as the drought situations worsens.
According to the National Interagency Fire Center, here’s how to protect homes and properties:
(This story was updated with new information.)
Laurie K. Blandford is a breaking news reporter with TCPalm. Email her at laurie.blandford@tcpalm.com.
This article originally appeared on Treasure Coast Newspapers: How to protect homes from Florida wildfires as brush fires burn
Reporting by Laurie K. Blandford, Treasure Coast Newspapers / Treasure Coast Newspapers
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