LAKELAND, Fla. — Fire officials across the Tampa Bay area are urging people to be extra careful as wildfire danger increases.
A Red Flag Warning goes into effect Tuesday for much of the region, including Polk, Hillsborough, Pinellas, Pasco, Hernando, Manatee, Sarasota, Sumter, Highlands and DeSoto counties.
Officials say dry vegetation, low humidity and gusty winds are creating dangerous conditions where fires can start easily and spread quickly.
Pasco County Fire Rescue says crews have been dealing with brush fires almost every day for the past few weeks.
“We’re just so drought-ridden in this Tampa area that there’s no relief in sight,” said Deputy Chief Shawn Whited.
He says many of those fires are preventable and often caused by human activity.
“Most of them are, you know, human error, people that are burning that aren’t supposed to be burning,” he said.
The Florida Forest Service says people should avoid or be extra careful when doing anything that could spark a fire, including outdoor burning, welding, grinding, and even parking in tall grass.
“This wind is going to take a small fire and make it a large fire in the blink of an eye,” said wildfire mitigation specialist Todd Chlanda.
Officials also recommend clearing dry leaves, pine needles and dead vegetation from around your home to help keep embers from igniting.
Even in places where burn bans have been lifted, fire crews say conditions are still dangerous and people need to stay alert.
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