Gulf County burn ban expires

A burn ban that was issued in Gulf County on March 5 in response to dry, windy conditions that caused the rapid spread of the Bertha Swamp Road fire in the county’s northwest end expired Tuesday, March 15, after several days of rainfall significantly lowered the wildfire threat.

Officials still caution residents to follow all regular burning rules and to obtain state permits when required.

Tuesday morning, as another storm system moved into the panhandle, the Florida Forest Service reported that the Bertha Swamp Road fire was 75 percent contained.

The fire has bunred more than 33,000 acres, and officials say it will likely take several weeks for the fire to be fully extinguished.