Sarasota County Bans Outdoor Fires: Stay Safe

0:00It's April 20th. From your city to your ears, this is Tampa Bay News today, powered by AI. I'm Corey with the story. Sarasota County dropped a burn ban on the whole city and unincorporated spot starting Monday. Thanks to killer drought conditions pushing the Ketchbeeram drought, index past 500. That means no outdoor fires anywhere, period to dodge wildfire risks. In state tight, you can fire up small cooking grills or pits no bigger than 3 feet across, plus any state approved burns with permits. Officials rolled this out under local rules that kick in automatically at that drought level. Fire crews are stressing vigilance, telling folks to clear out yard trash, dead plants, and roof gunk to build defensible space around homes. It's all about cutting fuel for potential blazes in these bone dry times. The ban hangs on until the index dips below 500 for 7 straight days, then it lifts with notices on the county site and socials. Meanwhile, skip spark makers like Moor's on windy days, watch those cigarettes, and

1:03keep evac kids handy if you're near wild areas. Stay sharp out there Sarasota, play it safe, and we'll beat this dry spell together.