The National Weather Service has issued a Fire Weather Watch for the western panhandle for Friday and Saturday, from 12 p.m. to 6 p.m. due to gusty conditions and low relative humidity.
- Gusty winds and dry conditions (very low relative humidity) are expected again today across the southern portion of the area and will lead to elevated fire danger.
What does this mean? Any fires that develop will likely spread rapidly today, so outdoor burning is NOT recommended.
Here are a few wildfire safety tips from the NWS:
- Create a safety zone of up to 100 feet around your home.
- Remove pine needles and dry leaves from around your home.
- Keep woodpiles at least 30 feet from your home.
On Thursday, South Walton Fire District firefighters, the Florida Forest Service and Walton County Sheriff’s Office deputies responded to an outside fire in Santa Rosa Beach around 3:10pm.
The fire was located east of Serenoa Road and putting off a lot of smoke due to windy conditions. According to the SWFD, the fire was deeply embedded into the woods and was being quickly suppressed due to the efforts of tractor plow units and the natural fire breaks in the area.
- As of 4:25 p.m., the fire was 90% contained and spanned approximately 15 acres.
- As of 4:55 p.m., Florida Forest Service reported that the fire as 100% contained across 15 acres.
