Flagler County will begin its fire mitigation project next week, months after Hurricane Matthew left parts of the county severely dry.
- Dry conditions, dead vegetation in Flagler pose fire risks
- Mitigation project to remove dead vegetation to begin Monday
- Work expected to last three to six weeks
The dry conditions are a huge fire risk for residents in certain areas, according to officials.
The Florida Forest Service and fire officials say the storm surge from Hurricane Matthew sent salt water rushing over the area, which is now halting plant growth.
The fire mitigation project will start with five areas in the Hammock community.
Officials say there’s plenty of dead and highly flammable vegetation, but many homes do not have enough space between them.
“There’s not enough space between that and their home,” said Julie Allen, a Florida mitigation specialist. “So if there was a fire, that vegetation, one ember goes onto the roof if they got dead leaves on their roof that’s what could cause a structure fire.
The goal of the project is to clear all dead vegetation.
Work begins Monday and expected to last about three to six weeks.
Officials say they want to finish by the peak of brush fire season, which begins in April.