Brooksville Fire Chief James Daugherty said his department has had no calls for brush fires since Wednesday. Dennis Hackett of the East Hernando Fire Department said the number of fires in his area has declined since Saturday. The rains haven't been significant enough to declare the fire emergency . . . over. The rain has not been enough to lift water restrictions, either. The governing board of the Southwest Florida Water Management District will review water restrictions at its June 27 meeting, and, unless the area receives significantly more rain before then, spokesman Michael Molligan said, the board probably will consider extending the restrictions.
Any rain is helpful, but the rain has been scattered.
We need a lot more and a lot more consistent rainfall. And until more rain arrives, afternoon thunderstorms pose a danger because of lightning, which could cause more fires, said Erin Albury, state Division of Forestry area supervisor for Citrus and Hernando counties. Slowly but surely we'll see an end to this fire season. All rights reserved.