{"id":23831,"date":"2026-04-06T09:32:16","date_gmt":"2026-04-06T13:32:16","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/newsroom.ocfl.net\/?post_type=press-release&#038;p=23831"},"modified":"2026-04-06T09:32:16","modified_gmt":"2026-04-06T13:32:16","slug":"orange-county-issues-burn-ban-as-drought-index-rises-2","status":"publish","type":"press-release","link":"https:\/\/newsroom.ocfl.net\/media-advisories\/press-releases\/2026\/04\/orange-county-issues-burn-ban-as-drought-index-rises-2\/","title":{"rendered":"Orange County Issues Burn Ban as Drought Index Rises"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><strong><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignright wp-image-23597\" src=\"https:\/\/newsroom.ocfl.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/26.01_OC-Logo-V-Color.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"150\" height=\"197\" srcset=\"https:\/\/newsroom.ocfl.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/26.01_OC-Logo-V-Color.png 648w, https:\/\/newsroom.ocfl.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/26.01_OC-Logo-V-Color-228x300.png 228w, https:\/\/newsroom.ocfl.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/26.01_OC-Logo-V-Color-600x790.png 600w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 150px) 100vw, 150px\" \/>Orange County, FL &#8211;<\/strong>\u00a0A burn ban has been ordered\u00a0for unincorporated areas of Orange County and any municipalities that Orange County Fire Rescue services, including Edgewood, Belle Isle, Oakland, and Eatonville.<\/p>\n<p>Burn bans are automatically instituted under Orange County\u2019s Fire Prevention and Protection Ordinance when the Keetch-Byram Drought Index (KBDI)\u00a0meets or exceeds 500. The burn ban prohibits all outdoor burning unless a permit has been issued, recreational open burning such as campfires, ceremonial bonfires, outdoor fireplaces, and\/or open flame heating devices; this includes burning of yard waste, debris, trash, and any other materials.<\/p>\n<p>Outdoor burning authorized by the state or county is not affected by this ban, nor is the use of outdoor grills or pits as defined in Section 18-4 of the Orange County Code.<\/p>\n<p>Violators face having the fire extinguished and enforcement action up to and including the issuance of a citation by Orange County officials. The burn ban will automatically lift after the drought index falls <strong>below 500 for seven consecutive days. <\/strong>Orange County will announce a lift of the ban through local news media, social media, and the Orange County websites.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Additional Resources:<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Orange County Fire Rescue reminds residents to take the following actions to protect their families and homes from fire danger:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Create at least 30 feet of defensible \u2013 meaning clean and green \u2013 space around your home<\/li>\n<li>Clear trash and dead vegetation from your front and backyards<\/li>\n<li>Remove leaves and debris from roof and gutters<\/li>\n<li>Have a plan and an emergency kit packed in case an evacuation is ordered, especially if your home directly abuts wildlands<\/li>\n<li>Monitor local media for updates on road closures, smoke conditions, and other hazards<\/li>\n<li>Use extreme caution when grilling, camping, and discarding cigarettes<\/li>\n<li>Call 9-1-1 if you see fire in your area<\/li>\n<li>Download the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.orangecountyfl.net\/Home\/NewslettersAlerts\/OCFLAlert.aspx\" data-auth=\"NotApplicable\">OCFL Alert <\/a>app and sign up for notifications\u00a0to stay abreast of rapidly changing conditions and warnings for your area.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Orange County, FL &#8211;\u00a0A burn ban has been ordered\u00a0for unincorporated areas of Orange County and any municipalities that Orange County Fire Rescue services, including Edgewood, Belle Isle, Oakland, and Eatonville. Burn bans are automatically instituted under Orange County\u2019s Fire Prevention and Protection Ordinance when the Keetch-Byram Drought Index (KBDI)\u00a0meets or exceeds 500. The burn ban [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"featured_media":0,"template":"","class_list":["post-23831","press-release","type-press-release","status-publish","hentry"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v26.9 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>Orange County Issues Burn Ban as Drought Index Rises<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"A burn ban has been ordered\u00a0for unincorporated areas of Orange County and any municipalities that Orange County Fire Rescue services, including Edgewood, Belle Isle, Oakland, and Eatonville.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/newsroom.ocfl.net\/media-advisories\/press-releases\/2026\/04\/orange-county-issues-burn-ban-as-drought-index-rises-2\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" 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