WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. — Portions of the Treasure Coast and Palm Beach County are now under an extreme drought, according to the latest figures released Thursday by the U.S. Drought Monitor.
The areas under extreme drought include:
- Large portions of western Martin and St. Lucie counties
- Western Palm Beach County near Lake Okeechobee
- Eastern Okeechobee County
- Small portion of southern Indian River County
This comes as we continue to track below normal rainfall across the area in the midst of our dry season. With the lack of rainfall, our soil continues to dry out, posing a wildfire risk across the area.
As of Thursday, West Palm Beach is more than 4 inches below normal, having received only about a half inch of precipitation this year.
The Keetch-Byram Drought Index (KBDI) measures the soil moisture, ranging from 0 to 800.
A reading of 600-800 often triggers burn bans and strict fire restrictions in many regions. This range indicates that 6 to 8 inches of rainfall are needed to bring the soil back to saturation.
All four counties that WPTV covers are currently under a burn ban, meaning no outdoor burning is allowed.
Palm Beach County Fire Rescue lists the following as prohibited under the burn ban:
- No yard waste burning
- No bonfires
- No fire pits
- No burning to clear land
- No ceremonial burning
Drought conditions continue to worsen week-to-week as we go further into a rain deficit.
Prescribed fires
The Florida Forest Service authorizes prescribed burns to help clear out flammable, dry vegetation and dead trees. Small-scale fires can actually improve an ecosystem by preventing larger and more uncontrollable wildfires as well as stimulating new growth.
However, when the soil gets too dry, prescribed burns become more risky and are generally paused due to the threat of high-intensity burning.
Check out the graphic below for tips to help prevent wildfires:
