- December 16, 2025
For the first time since April 21, the Flagler County burn ban has been lifted by county staff. A series of bans had been in place before that since Dec. 27.
Since Dec. 27, Flagler County has been battling burn bans, suffering an on-again-off-again relationship that held steady until April 21, when a ban was instated long-term. The item was brought forward once more to county staff, and the ban was lifted Thursday, July 7.
As of July 11, when staff released the information, it is officially legal again to have open flames in Flagler County.
Currently, the active fire count is down to two — the Espanola fire and the Opossum fire.
“(But) they are stubborn fires, and they’re still burning deep,” said Craig Coffey, county administrator, in his report to the Flagler County Board of County Commissioners, at a July 6 meeting.
The Espanola fire is holding at 5,136 acres and is 70% contained. The Opossum fire, 20 acres, is still smoldering underground in the muck, and is 100% contained.
The average county drought index is 418, on a scale of 0 to 800. When the initial April ban was put in place, the index was 638.
But there are still hotspots to be concerned about.
According to Flagler County Communications Manager Carl Laundrie, there remain several dry areas of 600-plus drought index numbers. At the fires’ peak, the index reached over 700.
The Division of Forestry’s crew has also gone from 60 workers, on July 6, to fully demobilized, as of July 8.
“We’re in pretty good shape,” Laundrie said.
