Florida Agriculture Commissioner urges caution as a risky fire season looms

Fire officials warn of potential dangers ahead of fire season

The Florida Commissioner of Agriculture is warning residents that the wildfire season could be particularly harmful given the lack of rain the state has seen. FOX 13's Evan Axelbank reports.

VALRICO, Fla. - The Florida Commissioner of Agriculture stopped in Valrico on Friday to urge caution when it comes to the upcoming fire season.  

The backstory:

The risk of wildfires is increasing, thanks to dry weather and significant population growth in the state. Firefighters have battled 50% more fires this year compared to 2024.

"It's a big increase, and we expected that increase," said Rick Dolan, the head of the Florida Forest Service. "I've been with the agency a long time, and this is the driest winter that I can remember in quite a while."

What they're saying:

Florida Agriculture Commissioner Wilton Simpson is urging Floridians to remember that they're the biggest obstacle to a busy fire season. Avoiding accidents in backyards or on camping trips is perhaps the key tool in stopping wildfires.

"We need everyone to be diligent as we come into the new year with the drier conditions. Um, because we stand ready, but we want to make sure that everybody's doing their part to be helpful."

Dig deeper:

The Florida Forest Service has stockpiled dozers, adding more than a hundred to their fleet over the last three years.  They've also boosted their army of helicopters from one to ten, and now have batches of drones to help surveil spreading fires.

"We're also cutting fire lines around critical infrastructure, school systems, and things of that nature to help in the case that we have a really major fire get out of control," said Simpson.

One challenge is Florida's rapid population growth. 

Prescribed burns have grown in importance because wooded areas are seldom isolated anymore. The state has done 2 million acres of prescribed burns, which is one-fifth of all the burns done nationwide.

"I can remember fighting fires years ago, and we hardly ever encountered homes in that," said Dolan. "Now, almost every fire we respond to, you're dealing with some sort of wildland urban interface, whether it's infrastructure or homes or subdivisions."

What's next:

Last year, even with 3,100 wildfires, only two homes were lost. This year, they're hoping for none.

The forest service urges anyone who is planning to burn roughage or trash to make sure there aren't any burn bans in your county.