From The Newsletter
Firefighters battles a wildfire that led to a burn ban.Firefighters battles a wildfire that led to a burn ban.
A Clay County Fire Rescue unit battles the Railroad Fire at the Clay/Putnam County line on Tuesday, April 21, 2026. | Clay County

Burn bans continue across Northeast Florida despite rain this week

By Heather Henderson and Dan Scanlan
Published on May 12, 2026 at 10:53 am
This story first appeared in Jacksonville Today's weekday morning newsletter. If you like what you read and want it in your inbox, sign up here.

Despite some much-needed rain in the forecast Tuesday and Wednesday, extreme drought has long been drying up Northeast Florida beyond what’s normal for this time of year.

St. Johns County has extended its burn ban for another week, through next Monday, due to the elevated risk of wildfires. Burn bans are still in place in all other Northeast Florida counties too (and most counties in Florida) until further notice.

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That means all open burning outdoors is prohibited. Cooking on a grill is still OK, but officials say even that can inadvertently light nearby foliage on fire. 

This is an excerpt from Jacksonville Today's weekday morning newsletter. If you like what you read and want it in your inbox, sign up here.

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author image Newsletter Writer email Heather Henderson is a writer, editor and artist who has lived in Jax for close to 20 years. She has a bachelor’s degree in history from the University of North Florida. author image Reporter email Dan Scanlan is a veteran journalist with 40 years as a radio, television and print reporter in the Jacksonville area, as well as years of broadcast work in the Northeast. After a stint managing a hotel comedy club, Dan began a 34-year career as police and current events reporter at The Florida Times-Union before joining the staff of WJCT News 89.9.

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