Spring Hill man cited following Weeki Wachee brush fire
TALLAHASSEE –
He thought he put out the fire in his yard, but it reemerged with a vengeance after the air got drier and windier, firefighters said.
As a result, the man accused of setting an illegal burn in his yard was charged this week with one count of reckless burning of lands – a second-degree misdemeanor that carries a sentence of up to 60 days in jail and a $500 fine.
Travis Lilly, 28, of Spring Hill, burned “household debris” in his yard Saturday and then tried to put the fire out, said Maj. Bob Johnson, the chief investigator for the Florida Office of Agricultural Law Enforcement.
“He thought he had the fire put out,” said Johnson. “When the winds picked up and the humidity lowered, the fire kicked back up.”
The ensuing blaze destroyed roughly 70 acres of property, he said.
Johnson said Lilly was cooperative during the investigation.
Hernando County Assistant Chief Frank DeFrancesco responded to Saturday’s fire along Woodland Waters Boulevard east of U.S. 19 and north of Nightwalker Boulevard.
A 911 call came in shortly before 2 p.m. and the fire was contained within two hours, firefighters said.
“The fire did some damage to a power pole and a couple of electrical lines, but our firefighters basically saved a dozen homes,” said DeFrancesco. “The potential was there for a multi-million dollar fire loss due to someone’s carelessness.”
By law, yard burns must take place at least 25 feet from the property owner’s home and at least 50 feet from a paved road.
Additionally, such fires must be set 25 feet or more from any combustible structure or brush and at least 150 feet from any other occupied building.
Burns are restricted to yard debris, such as grass trimmings or leaves. They do not include household trash, which Lilly was suspected of burning, said DeFrancesco.
Lilly’s charge requires him to go before the judge, but no hearing date was found in Hernando County court records.
The Office of Agricultural Law Enforcement was called to investigate by the Division of Forestry. It is the “law enforcement arm” of the Florida Department of Agriculture and investigates all woods fires and outdoor open burns, said Johnson.
