Public Notice of Hazardous

Wildfire Conditions on Sanibel

Warning! The City of Sanibel hereby gives notice that the recent drought and seasonal low humidity combined with the widespread distribution of woody debris still remaining in some areas from Hurricane’s Charley and Wilma has resulted in an increased risk of wildfire. Residents and visitors alike are urged to be extra careful with ignition sources such as cigarette and cigar butts, matches, candles, charcoal from barbecue grills, parking vehicles in tall dry grass, etc. Everyone is reminded that open fires such as campfires, the burning of debris and lighting of fireworks by the general public continues to be prohibited on Sanibel.

As a homeowner or business owner, there are many things that can be done to reduce the wildfire risk around your home or business. Suggestions include: trimming dead palm fronds from trees near structures, trimming or mowing tall grasses near buildings, pruning large, leafy hardwood trees overhanging roof lines or porches, eliminating combustible materials such as gasoline containers, firewood, and building supplies from being stored under or around the home or business, cleaning up the dead vegetative debris and keeping mulch and other landscaping material moist. Pine straw and any other particularly flammable material is not recommended for use as mulch.

During the 2008 Spring season, as weather conditions allow, the Sanibel Island Firewise Task Force, which includes the City of Sanibel, the Sanibel Fire and Rescue District, the Sanibel-Captiva Conservation Foundation, and the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service’s J.N. “Ding” Darling National Wildlife Refuge, will be conducting prescribed fires in multiple locations on the island to help preserve the natural ecology of the area and reduce the likelihood of catastrophic wildfires.

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