Prohibición de Incendios de Emergencia Vigente en el Condado de Orange

UPDATE: Orange County Government lifted this enacted burn ban on March 23, 2018.

Orange County, Fla. – A burn ban, which prohibits the ignition and burning of open fires, is now active in Orange County. Under Orange County’s Fire Prevention and Protection ordinance, burn bans automatically activate county-wide when the Keetch-Buram Drought Index (KBDI), the reference scale created by the State of Florida which measures drought conditions, meets or exceeds 500. El 19 de marzo, el índice de sequía alcanzó los 500, según el KBDI.

Despite welcome rainfall in parts of Orange County during the last 24-hours, the burn ban now remains in effect until the drought index dips below 500 KBDI for seven consecutive days, per county ordinance. Additional rain in the forecast could help alleviate the ongoing severe dry conditions.

In an effort to assist the community with questions about what is prohibited while the burn ban is active, Orange County Government has established two new webpages dedicated specifically to wildfire prevention y Orange County’s burn ban ordinance.

This burn ban is applicable within the unincorporated and incorporated territory of Orange County; however, municipalities within Orange County may provide notice of exclusion in writing to the Orange County Fire Marshal’s Office. Outdoor burning authorized by the Florida Forest Service is not affected by this ban, nor is the use of outdoor grills and barbeques for cooking as defined in Section 18-4, in the Orange County Code. Properly permitted commercial and professional firework displays are also exempt.

In 2018, Orange County amended its Fire Prevention and Protection ordinance so that burn bans automatically activate once the KBDI meets, or exceeds, 500. The ordinance amendment replaced the need for the Mayor to issue a local declaration of emergency and better aligns Orange County with neighboring communities. Conforme con la ordenanza enmendada, una vez que el KBDI se mantiene por debajo de 500 durante siete días consecutivos, la prohibición de incendios del Condado de Orange automáticamente deja de regir.

Orange County Fire Rescue has already responded to several wildfires this month and reminds citizens to take the following actions to protect their families and homes from fire danger:

• Crear un "espacio apto para la defensa" limpio de malezas y verde a 30 pies alrededor de su vivienda
• Quitar la vegetación cerca y la basura del frente de su casa y del patio trasero
• Mantener limpio el techo y las canaletas, sin hojas
• Have a Ready, Set, Go! plan and an emergency kit packed in case an evacuation is ordered, especially if your home directly abuts wildlands
• Estar atento a los medios locales para recibir información reciente sobre cortes de ruta, presencia de humo y otros peligros
• Tener extremo cuidado cuando asa a la parrilla, arma un campamento o arroja las colillas de cigarrillo
• Llamar al 911 en caso de humo o incendio en su zona
• Descargue la aplicación OCFL Alert y OCAlert