The Okaloosa County Board of Commissioners has declared a local state of emergency due to drought conditions that are creating hazardous wildfire risks across the county.
- This comes after coordination with the Florida Forest Service and analysis of the current and future weather forecast.
The emergency declaration, passed in Resolution No. 2023-180 on Tuesday, October 31, 2023, cites the dry, parched, and windy weather as exacerbating fire dangers and the need for emergency measures to protect residents and visitors.
Under the state of emergency, all outdoor burning is prohibited, including bonfires, campfires, fireplaces and cooking fires outside of contained, monitored gas or charcoal grills.
- The prohibition is aimed at mitigating the public safety hazard posed by wildfires.
According to the resolution, violators of the outdoor burn ban are subject to second degree misdemeanor charges. Local fire districts will respond to any reports of illegal burning and take measures to contain or extinguish the fires.
The emergency declaration follows collaboration among the Okaloosa County Department of Public Safety, the Florida Forest Service and the County Commission. All agreed on the urgent need to ban outdoor burning given the dry conditions.
The state of emergency goes into effect immediately and will remain in effect for at least seven days under the initial resolution. The County Commission can choose to extend it in weekly intervals as drought conditions persist.
