ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. — Brush fires have been breaking out across Tampa Bay. In places like Hernando, Pinellas, Polk and Hillsborough counties, fire rescue crews have had to put out multiple fires, which have burned through hundreds of acres of land, this week alone.
The region has been under a severe drought notice, and county and city officials have been asking people to be careful with water usage, issuing restrictions for watering lawns in cities like Tampa.
In addition to drought conditions due to a series of dry months, multiple counties continue to have burn bans in place.
According to the Florida Forest Service, as of Feb. 10, counties in the Tampa Bay area are under a burn ban. These include: Citrus, Hernando, Pasco, Pinellas, Hillsborough, Polk, Manatee, Sarasota, Hardee, DeSoto and Highlands counties…