PALM BEACH COUNTY, FL (Boca Post) (Copyright © 2026) — Palm Beach County is now under a countywide burn ban as fire officials warn that dry conditions have pushed the region into elevated wildfire risk.
Palm Beach County Fire Rescue Fire Marshal Chief David DeRita has ordered the burn ban for all of Palm Beach County, shutting down most forms of outdoor burning until further notice. The restriction applies countywide, affecting cities and unincorporated areas alike, and it is meant to reduce the chance of brush fires and fast-moving grass fires sparked by open flames.
The burn ban has one narrow exception: agricultural burning. That area is handled separately under the jurisdiction of the Florida Forest Service, not the county fire marshal’s office. Outside of agricultural activity regulated by that state agency, residents are being told to stop burning anything outdoors.
The ban prohibits a range of common activities that, under dry conditions, can quickly turn into emergencies. That includes yard waste burning, bonfires, and fire pits. It also prohibits burning to clear land and ceremonial burning.
Palm Beach County Fire Rescue said residents should refrain from burning anything outdoors until further notice.
The decision is tied directly to drought measurements that fire agencies use to track risk day to day. The Keetch-Byram Drought Index, known as KBDI, measures soil moisture relative to rainfall and relative humidity. In plain terms, it’s one of the tools used to estimate how dry the ground and vegetation have become, and how easily a fire can start and spread.
Palm Beach County Fire Rescue said the KBDI was 645 on the day the ban was issued. The agency noted that anything above 600 puts fire officials on alert, and 650 is considered extreme drought conditions. With the index sitting just below that “extreme” threshold, county fire officials are treating the current conditions as high risk.
The practical impact for residents is straightforward: if it involves an outdoor flame or burning material, it’s off the table unless it falls under the agricultural exception governed by the Florida Forest Service. That means no backyard burn piles, no recreational fires, and no fire pit burns while the ban is in place.
Palm Beach County Fire Rescue said it will monitor the situation daily and provide updates as necessary. For now, the restriction remains in effect until fire officials lift it.
Residents should watch for county updates and treat the ban as a countywide safety order, not a suggestion. The county is asking people to avoid lighting anything outdoors that could spark an unintended fire during the current dry spell.
Boca Post is a hyperlocal news outlet covering Boca Raton, with original reporting on city government, public safety, development, and community issues that is frequently cited across the local media landscape.
