LABELLE, Fla. — Hendry County has significantly increased fines for people who start outdoor fires during burn bans, following several costly incidents that forced evacuations and damaged property.
The county raised first-offense fines from $100 to $500, with repeat violations now carrying a $2,500 penalty.
Watch Fox 4's Allie Kaiser learn how Hendry County hopes the changes will deter fires while there is a burn ban:
"Last year we had a couple of fires that got out of control," said Hendry County Commissioner Ramon Iglesias.
The decision follows multiple fires that escalated during previous burn bans, including an 8-acre brush fire in Montura last April that left nearly 2,000 people without power and damaged multiple properties.
"The money, the salaries, time we could have spent on other things that we might have to do, and the amount of resources that were utilized during a situation like that - that's where some of this stems from," said Chief Amy Stafford of Hendry County Public Safety.
Iglesias said the goal is deterrence through financial consequences.
"The idea is hit them in their pocket, right? My goal is to stop them from doing it," Iglesias said.
The increased fines do not apply to cooking fires or to individuals with valid permits from the forest service. Hendry County is currently under a burn ban, which Stafford is monitoring closely due to dry conditions.
"You think, 'Okay, we're in a drought, so the land is dry, there's not a lot of water out there.' That means there's not necessarily a lot of water for us to get to put on the fire," Stafford said.
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