- October 12, 2024
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Palm Coast faces a heightened risk of wildfires over the next three months, Palm Coast Fire Chief Kyle Berryhill warned Palm Coast City Council members at a March 14 meeting.
As we move into spring, Berryhill said, the area is under moderate drought conditions, raising the fire risk.
Flagler County has a history of wildfires: The 1985 "Black Friday" fires destroyed 131 homes in Palm Coast, while the 1998 fires led to a countywide evacuation. More recently, the county had over 90 fires in 2011, Berryhill said.
At the end of the previous week, he added, the drought index was at 400 on a scale of zero to 800, with 800 akin to a desert. When the scale is close to 400, Berryhill said, he and other fire chiefs start communicating about the increased risk of wildfires.
As of Tuesday, March 14, that index is back down to 287 because of rain over the weekend.
Berryhill said the Palm Coast Fire Department will be watching the situation closely over the coming months.
