Brush Fires Surge Across Tampa Bay as Drought Keeps Pasco County on High Alert

From rural stretches of east Pasco to the wooded edges of New Port Richey and Hudson, firefighters across the Tampa Bay area have been responding to brush fires at a pace that local crews say they haven’t seen in decades. The combination of long-running drought, low humidity, and dry vegetation has turned ordinary outdoor activities into potential ignition points, and officials are pleading with residents to take the risk seriously.

Another Fire Reported Near Starkey Ranch

Based on information circulating publicly, a brush fire was reported in the Starkey Ranch area of Pasco County on Sunday — the latest in a string of fires to ignite near the sprawling west Pasco preserve in 2026. Additional details, including the exact size and cause, were not immediately available.

The Starkey area has repeatedly been a flashpoint this year. Earlier in April, Pasco County Fire Rescue and the Florida Forest Service battled a roughly 90-acre wildfire inside Jay B. Starkey Wilderness Park, with smoke drifting across portions of the Suncoast Parkway. And back in February, smoke from another Starkey-area fire forced Pasco County Schools to cancel or delay classes at River Ridge Middle and River Ridge High for student safety.

A Region-Wide Problem

The Tampa Bay region as a whole is in the middle of an unusually active fire season. According to information released publicly by the Florida Forest Service, more than three times as many fires have ignited statewide this year as during the same period in 2025, and many blazes have burned longer and more aggressively than fire officials are used to seeing this early in the year.

Gov. Ron DeSantis declared a state of emergency in February as drought expanded to cover roughly 95 percent of Florida, a move that freed up additional resources for local fire agencies. In the weeks since, nearly two dozen counties have enacted burn bans, including Pasco, Hillsborough, Pinellas, Hernando, and Citrus.

Some of the recent fires in and around the region have included:

• A roughly 90-acre blaze earlier this month inside Starkey Wilderness Park in Pasco County.
• A wildfire near Weeki Wachee Preserve in Hernando County that burned roughly 120 acres and prompted evacuations, with Pasco crews assisting.
• Two brush fires on the same day in unincorporated Pasco — one along Jerry Road and another off Allen Road — earlier in the year.
• A Pasco County fire that destroyed campers and a home after someone reportedly started a fire illegally, according to reporting from the Tampa Bay Times.
• Dozens of smaller fires across Hillsborough, Polk, Hernando, and Pinellas counties in recent months.

Pasco’s Emergency Burn Ban Still in Effect

According to Pasco County officials, the county has been under an Emergency Burn Ban since Jan. 28. The mandatory order applies across all unincorporated areas of the county and will remain in place until leaders determine conditions are safe enough to lift it.

How Residents Can Help Prevent Brush Fires

Fire officials say the majority of Florida wildfires are human-caused, often from actions most people don’t think twice about. With conditions across the Tampa Bay region expected to stay dangerous until the area sees significant rainfall, Pasco County Fire Rescue and the Florida Forest Service are urging residents to take some simple precautions:

• Follow the burn ban. Skip the yard debris fire, the campfire, and any backyard burn pile until the order is lifted.
• Handle cigarettes carefully. Never toss them from a vehicle or into grass. Fully extinguish them in a safe container.
• Mind your grill. Make sure coals are completely cold before disposing of them.
• Watch where you park. Hot exhaust systems on dry grass have started wildfires across Florida this year.
• Create defensible space. Keep gutters, roofs, and the ground around your home clear of dry leaves, pine straw, and yard debris.
• Drive carefully in smoke. Slow down, turn on headlights, and avoid stopping in low-visibility areas.
• Report fires quickly. Call 911 at the first sign of flames or heavy smoke near homes or roadways.

From Hudson, New Port Richey, and Trinity on the west side of Pasco to Land O’ Lakes, Wesley Chapel, Zephyrhills, and Dade City further east, residents are being reminded that no part of the county is immune. Fire officials say a single sustained weather system could ease the danger — but until steady rain returns, every dry, breezy day raises the stakes for another brush fire.

For continuing coverage of brush fires, burn ban updates, and public safety news from across Pasco County, visit www.pascocommunity.com and follow Pasco Community Website on Facebook and Instagram.