Burn ban in effect for Lee County

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Burn ban
Credit: MGN

There is now a burn ban for Lee County due to dry conditions throughout Southwest Florida.

The ban went into effect late Tuesday after the drought index reached 600.

The ban includes “outdoor burning ignition sources, such as campfires, bonfires, and trash burning.”

Food grills and backyard fire rings are not included in this burn ban.

The ban does not apply to prescribed burns, authorized public fireworks displays and fireworks sales.

For burn bans to be enacted, the Keetch-Byram Drought Index needs to reach or exceed a value of 600. According to Lee County officials, Lee County’s index value Tuesday afternoon was an average of 600 out of 800.

The Lee County Fire Chiefs’ Association and the Florida Forest Service support the ban.

The month of May saw burn bans issued for Charlotte, Glades and Hendry counties, leaving only Collier County out of the mix.

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