Hillsborough Fire Marshal Tammy Zurla

A cold front has brought very low humidity to much of Florida and heightened the wildfire risk. We speak with Hillsborough County fire marshall Tammy Zurla. 

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:00):
Gordon Bird here with Beyond the News. Much of the state,
including inland areas of Hillsboro County, is under a fire
warning from the National Weather Service because of dry conditions
and other conditions that favor wildfires. We have Hillsborough County
Fire Marshal Tambizerla on the line to talk about that
situation and how to stay safe. Fire Marshall, thank you

(00:21):
very much for joining us, Thanks for having me all
right now. We know that dry and windy conditions can
increase the chance of a brush fire. How volatile are
conditions right now when we're talking about a fire warning?
Where could you start a fire just by starting up
your car over the dry grass or even a soda
can How serious are our conditions right now?

Speaker 2 (00:44):
The conditions are very very serious right now. Any one
of those things you mentioned could start it. We had
we've had situations very recent where we've had people burning
trash and it burns really quick, glee and gets away
from them, and just that easy that can start a
multi acre brush fire.

Speaker 1 (01:06):
And a lot of that of course, with if there's
any kind of a wind, of course, embers can travel.

Speaker 2 (01:10):
Quickly, absolutely absolutely, and we do have as you know,
we do have the burn band in place, so you
know the fact that we're getting people still burning. You
know this burn band didn't just start today, It's been
in effect a few weeks now, so that complicates.

Speaker 1 (01:27):
Matters all right. Now, beyond not doing any open burning,
what are some of the other safety tips that we
need to keep in mind in order to prevent fires
and hopefully limit their impact?

Speaker 2 (01:41):
Right, So, some of the things are. You know, you
can remove fuels that can lead the flames to your home.
Around your house, clear away any dead grass, leaves, twigs,
branches from your structures, especially on top of your roots,
your rain gutters, your decks and walkways. If you have firewoods,
store at least thirty feet from any occupied structures. Long

(02:03):
term plant late landscaping that retains moisture and resist ignition,
such as native fire resistant vegetation. Definitely you can help
emergency responders finding your home faster. We're making sure that
street numbers are large enough and easy to read. Know
where your closest firefighting water sources to your home. Believe
it or not, we've had individuals help us out when

(02:25):
they can. Is we don't want to put them in
safety because our message is always to get out, but
we've had instances where people use their hose so dispose
of cigarette but properly. That is really, really, really important
right now. Pick up light, refracting metal items you mentioned
to coke can, soda cans, and dope. Park vehicles over

(02:46):
high grass that could come into hot tact contact with
hot engines and other components.

Speaker 1 (02:51):
And it looks like the dry weather is here to
stay for a while, so hopefully people will pay attention.
He'll's process the Hills Burrow fire, Marshall Tammy Zerla, thank
you very much for joining us on Beyond the News.

Speaker 2 (03:04):
Thank you for having me