MARTIN COUNTY, Fla. — Drought conditions on the Treasure Coast are worsening, and officials are getting concerned.
According to the National Weather Service's Keetch-Byram drought index (KBDI), Martin County is now the third driest county in Florida, with St. Lucie County not far behind.
The index scale runs from one to 800, with one being the wettest and 800 being the driest.
According to Miguel Nevarez with Florida Forest Service, normally for this time of year, the Treasure Coast has a KBDI level of around 400. As of Monday, Martin County has a KBDI level of 633, more than 50% drier than normal for this time of year.
"We face the potential of having a really, really rough brushfire season," Martin County Fire Rescue spokesman Cory Pippin said. "When you talk about the prolonged drought, just how dry it's been as well as the gusty winds, it's a significant concern."
Martin and Palm Beach County Fire Rescue crews responded Monday to small fires on the side of Interstate 95 near Hobe Sound. Pippin said while crews aren't yet sure of the cause of the fire, he said the conditions certainly don't help.
"It could spread out of control really quickly," Pippin said. "We're just trying to do everything we can. Firefighters are trying to do everything they can to make sure that doesn't happen and to be ready to respond if it does happen."
Pippin added crews are on high alert for any potential fires at all times.
"I think we're worried every day," Pippin said. "We're continuing to watch these conditions and have our crews ready to go."
That news is comforting for residents like Melanie Sotomayor, whose home in the Foxwood neighborhood of Stuart nearly burned down in a wildfire just about a week earlier.
"That's very nerve-racking and very scary," Sotomayor said.
She lives just a few miles from where the small fires broke out along the highway Monday. She's worried another fire will start up again, threatening her home.
"It could easily come right back this direction, depending on the wind," Sotomayor said. "Your luck could run out. You can lose everything in a split second."
Across the county at Creek Nursery, owner Dawn Rose and office manager Cory Carter are working hard to keep their plants alive, while conserving water at the same time.
"We knew we'd have to cut back on water, but this is unprecedented," Rose said, "and we have a lot more people here, so we have a lot more draw [for our plants.]"
Creek Nursery does have a drip irrigation system, but the women fear that won't help if people don't start conserving water as water levels continue to drop.
"Will wells go dry? Possibly," Rose said. "That's why we need to be concerned now."
"What happens for you if wells go dry?” asked WPTV reporter Kate Hussey.
"No water equals no plants," Carter said. "No water, no plants, no sales."
Carter and Rose urged others to conserve water as much as possible.
"We only have so much water here in our aquifers," Carter said. "If they can conserve, whether it's washing dishes, washing laundry."
Creek nursery, fire crews and Sotomayor said they're holding out hope for rain, as Sotomayor hopes for the day she stops watching for smoke and starts watching for rain.
"We need more rain! Hopefully, that will happen," Sotomayor said.
South Florida Water Management told WPTV that the area is not at a critical drought level right now. A spokesperson for the district said if the canals get down to 14 feet, significant water usage restrictions will go into effect. Thankfully, the district said with canal levels at 22 feet, we're nowhere near that level of concern yet.
Meanwhile, there are things you can do to both prevent wildfires and conserve water.
Pippin said Martin County is strongly urging residents not to burn outdoors and also cautioned against throwing out any cigarettes since they can spark wildfires.
He also said driving over dry grass can spark flames due to the catalytic converter, cautioning against that too. In addition, he said to be careful while hauling anything from a vehicle because friction from chains attached to the back of a vehicle hitting the highway can spark and lead to brush fires.
Creek Nursery recommends plant owners water their plants for just a few minutes at night or in the morning to make the most of the water and prevent it from drying up quickly. Carter also said plant owners should make sure to water the roots of the plant and not waste water trying to water the foliage.
