Firefighters responding to a brush fire. Credit: WINK News Our dry season has begun, and the lack of rain combined with above-average temperatures means our wildfire risk is high. Lehigh Acres Fire Rescue says anything that creates a spark is dangerous right now; property has already ignited within just the last few days. A big concern in Lehigh Acres is the number of dense areas of brush close to residential areas. Things like throwing out a cigarette, fireworks and outdoor burning can start flames easily. Katie Heck with Lehigh Acres Fire Rescue has some tips for homeowners to keep your property safe. “The first thing you need to do is protect your home: Create a defensible space around your home, whether it be with landscaping, and just piling up outdoor debris,” Heck said. “You want to get rid of all of that, especially during wildfire season. Anything that a spark or a floating ember could ignite, you do not want near your home.” Lehigh Acres Fire Rescue says each time firefighters go out on a call, their brush truck that fights wildfires goes out alongside the fire engine, just as a precaution. With so many open areas in Lehigh Acres, firefighters have more territory to keep their eye on. “A lot of our outlying areas, where we have homes intermixed and these densely brushed areas, those are the ones we pay a little bit more attention to, because a fire there can put a home in danger very quickly,” Heck said.