- December 15, 2025
Violations could mean fines of $500. Also, an expert will revisit the county’s mitigation plan.
Although there have yet to be any serious wildfires spark in Flagler County this fire season, the County Commission voted Monday, May 21, to renew its countywide emergency burn ban.
“We continue to get fires every time we’re supposed to get rain,” County Administrator Craig Coffey told the board. “But (so far), they have been manageable. … A lot of people don’t realize that we’re fighting fires constantly … on the west side, to protect people on the east side.”
With Memorial Day weekend on the way, the board reinforced and renewed its emergency burn ban. Commissioner Milissa Holland also suggested increasing fine enforcement. Violating the ban could mean fines up to $500 or 60 days in jail.
“(Fines) may bring a little bit more awareness,” Holland said. “If it’s hitting them in their pocket book, it will (have more an impact).”
“Any violation of our emergency proclamation is a crime and is enforceable,” County Attorney Al Hadeed added.
Coffey said: “We’re still in the same drought conditions. We still have the same seriousness. Nothing has changed.”
That means no fireworks or open flames of any kind this coming weekend. The board plans to make a decision on Fourth of July fireworks closer to the date of the holiday festivities, similar to how the call was made last year.
In an effort to proactively fight fires, Flagler will be bringing in an outside consultant to create a fire-mitigation plan.
Fully funded by the Florida Division of Forestry, the plan will be the first in Florida, as part of a new state initiative.
“We’re really trying to get technical about a lot of this stuff,” Coffey said. “It’s always good to have an outside expert.”
The county’s last mitigation plan was made in 2005. A new one will “also open the door for new funding sources,” Coffey said.
More recently added equipment, like the FireFlight helicopter, he added, have also helped tremendously to keep threat levels down.
“The fires we have had would’ve burnt us down again (if not for the chopper),” he said.
