Polk County Repeals Burn Ban - Polk County Government

Published: June 17, 2026

Bartow, Fla. (June 17, 2026) – After tracking the weather and analyzing the county’s Keetch-Byram Drought Index (KBDI) average, Polk County officials have repealed the May 5 burn ban.

The conversations between Polk County Fire Chief Shawn Smith, local municipal fire chiefs and Florida Forest Service Lakeland District Manager Pat Keogh said it is safe to repeal the ban as the county moves into the rainy season.

“As we look at weather forecasts and the decrease in the KBDI, it confirms that our numbers are going in the correct direction for a repeal of the burn ban,” said Fire Chief Smith. “As always we will continuously monitor the KBDI and weather in case conditions change and we begin to experience another period of dry weather.”

As of June 16, Polk County’s KBDI average is 455 with 70% of the county under 500.

The KBDI is a continuous reference scale, ranging from 0 to 800. It assesses the soil’s moisture content from no moisture deficiency (0) to maximum drought conditions (800).

Despite the lift of the burn ban – if you see a potentially dangerous fire – report it to the Polk County Sheriff’s Office Non-Emergency Line at 863-298-6200 or call 9-1-1 if life or property is in immediate danger.

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