Where has the year gone?

It seems like Christmas was just last month and now here we are, its almost the Fourth Of July!

I know it seems like the state of Florida has seen a lot of rain during the month of June. The sad fact remains that we are still very dry folks. We need to be very careful while celebrating our Nation's Independence.

I've been contacted a couple times this past week about the Burn Bans around the state. Some have been lifted, some are still in effect. Here are the Florida Counties still under a Burn Ban:

Baker, Bay, Charlotte, Flagler, Franklin, Glades (partial ban), Gulf, Hernando, Lake, Levy (voluntary), Okaloosa, Pasco, Polk, Sumter, Volusia Unincorporated (and the cities of DeBary, DeLand, Deltona, Lake Helen, Oak Hill, Pierson) and Walton.            

If your county isn't mentioned, maybe we could pretend it was and play it safe?Volusia County got over 7 inches of rain in the month of June and we are still very dry.                                 

There have been several counties removed from the list since last I checked, but that doesn't mean we shouldn't play it safe this long holiday weekend.

Yes, and with the rain we've had we do have wildfires burning. Just recently here in Volusia County I-95 was shut down due to a controlled burn that got out of control and jumped I-95. It burned about 95 acres either side of I-95 near Old Dixie Highway.

From what I am reading, it appears the state of Florida as of June 25th has 125 wildfires actively burning.

In Pasco County there is a 186 acre wildfire burning that was started by lightning. It is not yet contained.

In Lake County, currently a 301 acre wildfire burning, cause is not known. Over 200 hundred homes and structures are threatened by this fire, it is at 40% containment.

Collier County has the Sable Palm East Fire, it was started by lighting and has grown to 400 acres. There is no containment yet.

Lets talk some safety for the big weekend:

There are two things we Amercian's love to do on the Fourth Of July, EAT and light off FIREWORKS!(Ok 3, but the 3rd has nothing to do with putting a flame to something!)

Fireworks are fun, but they are dangerous. Please make sure an adult is present at all times when the children are playing with even the most tame sparkler. One mistake could lead to .. well, let's not even go there. We all know what can happen.

BBQ Safety Tips:

Don't set your grill on mulch. Yep, makes sense when we think about it now huh? I never in a million years would have thought of this. One small nudge by a playing puppy, or trip over the hose, if that grill goes down the mulch is prime fuel for a fire.

Don't add more charcoal lighter fluid to your charcoal if the briquetts aren't starting fast enough. The fire could travel up the stream of liquid to your hand and on to the rest of your body. Please be patient with it.

Don't place your gas or charcoal grill close to your home. It doesn't take much to melt the vinyl siding on your house, or to catch it on fire. I think I heard 20 feet is good, but if you have more room then that utilize it.

Don't turn on the gas on your gas grill with the lid closed. This could lead to an explosive situation.

Always check hoses and connections on your gas grill before turning the gas on. A leak could be disastrous.

"According to the National Fire Protection Association, leaks can be detected by dabbing the connections with a solution of soapy water and turning on the gas momentarily. If bubbles occur, it means there is a leak that must be fixed before the grill is used."  (Quote taken From Good Morning America)

We'll be watching the pro's light the fireworks, come join us!. There are 4 different fireworks displays scheduled in our area, 4th of July Celebration In Port Orange, Florida! The Daytona Beach Pier, after the Daytona Cubs game and at the Granada Bridge in Ormond Beach. Come on out and have some fun!