Fire officials share tips for preventing wildfires ahead of cooler season

BAY COUNTY, Fla. ( WMBB ) – When humidity drops, leaves, branches, and grasses lose their moisture and become brittle. Perfect fuel for a fire.

Combine that with gusting winds and a spark can turn into a major wildfire in a matter of minutes.

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"This part of the Panhandle or the state of Florida is under a red flag warning, which means that weather conditions are such that all outdoor burning needs to be taken care of properly due to the low humidity, high winds, low moisture content, and the ground and of course, the blow down that we still experience for Hurricane Michael," County Fire Rescue Assistant Operations Chief Darryl Wise said.

The Florida fire service considers a small fire limited to 8 feet in diameter.

Fire officials are allowing small fires, as long as they're at least 25 feet from the wood line and your home and 50 feet from the roadway. It also must be 150 feet from the neighbors' homes.

But those should not be your only precautions.

"Make sure that you have the proper area cleaned out around your burn pit. You don't want any hard grass or don't want it to be near a wood line. Follow the Florida Forest Service burn regulations. Want to make sure that you have a water supply something that you can put out the fire when it's completed or if it happens to get out of hand, that you can control it," Wise said.

Properly extinguishing campfires, respecting burn bans, and being responsible can make a significant difference in preventing wildfires.

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"If you have a campfire and you don't bother to put it out and you walk away and leave it, whatever damage that fire does is up to the person that started the fire," Wise added.

Wildfires not only threaten homes and life but also disrupt local ecosystems and air quality.