- February 16, 2026
Despite recent rainfall, wildfire danger remains high across Flagler County, according to Flagler Fire Rescue Chief Mike Tucker.
The county implemented a burn ban following a significant brush fire on Feb. 4 that threatened structures, including a church on Old Dixie Highway. Tucker said a combination of freezing temperatures followed by drought conditions has created extremely volatile fire conditions.
“The fuels the way they are right now, between the freeze and the drought, has just created some pretty much tinderbox conditions,” Tucker said. “That fire in particular really got big fast.”
After the fire, emergency management officials, county leadership and local fire chiefs agreed the timing was right to put a burn ban in place. The ban remains active and is renewed in seven-day increments, which is the maximum period allowed under county authority.
Although the area received rainfall this week, Tucker said it was not enough to significantly reduce the fire threat.
“We got a decent amount of rain last night, but it was not enough to make a difference,” he said. “It definitely helped us with some of the fires we’ve had going on, but it’s not enough to change overall the trajectory of the weather conditions.”
Over the weekend, firefighters responded to two additional wildfires — one burning approximately 100 acres and another that grew to about 500 acres. The larger fire occurred west of State Road 11, while the smaller blaze was reported in the southern portion of the county near the Lake Disston area. Fortunately, no structures were placed in danger during those incidents.
Tucker emphasized the importance of early reporting as dry conditions persist.
“With the wildfires, getting ahead of them is our number one defense,” he said. “We would rather be called early rather than late.”
County officials continue to urge residents to follow the burn ban and remain vigilant, even after rainfall, as drought conditions continue to fuel wildfire risk.
