Local mitigation strategy (LMS) - Volusia County Government

SECTION 5: HAZARD PROFILES5.14.3 Historical OccurrencesAccording to the Florida Division of Forestry, Florida experiences an average of 3,060 wildfires annually,burning nearly 154,000 acres 19 . The most common cause of Florida wildfire events is lightning whichignited over 700 fires annually between 2000 and 2009. Volusia County experienced 1,306 fires thatburned over 22,600 acres between January 2000 and August 2009. Lightning caused nearly half of thesefires. Table 5.18 lists the number of reported wildfire occurrences in Volusia County between the years2000 and 2008.TABLE 5.18: Historical Wildfire Occurrences in Volusia CountyNumberof FiresYEAR 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008AnnualAverage203 116 31 71 145 64 213 195 121 129Acres Burned 2,043 383 371 2,011 746 198 5,037 1,826 1,482 1,566Source: Florida Division of ForestryIt should also be noted that 1998 was a particularly significant year for wildfires in Volusia County.That year, drought conditions were prevalent throughout the County. A total of 233 wildfires werereported, the largest single cause being lightning. In all, over 163,000 acres were burned. The firesthreatened 29,000 homes and hindered travel as wildfires jumped highways. However, after weeksof burning, just six houses, one mobile home, and two businesses were destroyed, totaling $2.1million ($2,889,598; 2009 dollars). Timber, conversely, took the brunt of the damage with losses ofover $60 million ($85,570,222; 2009 dollars). No fatalities or civilian injuries were reported but tenfirefighters did have minor injuries.Source:5.14.4 Probability of Future OccurrencesThere is a high probability of future wildfire events in Volusia County, especially during drought cyclesand abnormally dry conditions, based on prior occurrence. Volusia County experienced nearly 130wildfires per year from 2000 – 2008.19 Average information based on information between January 2000 and August 2009.Volusia County Multi-jurisdictional Local Mitigation StrategyFebruary 20105:67