BROOKSVILLE — A state-approved burn at the Oak Hills development that escaped containment on May 16 and forced Hernando County Fire Rescue to assist drew sharp criticism from county commissioners May 26, who said they want the developer held financially accountable.
At the County Commission meeting, commissioners pressed Public Safety Director and Fire Chief Paul Hasenmeier on the incident at 10059 Northcliffe Blvd., where a contractor conducting a Florida Forest Service-permitted burn lost control of the fire, igniting a large brush pile on the Oak Hills Golf Course property.
The burn was conducted during a countywide burn ban.
“We had to assist there,” Hasenmeier told Commissioner John Allocco, who pointed out that the developer sought the burn permit “to save money” rather than haul debris to the landfill.
Allocco asked whether the county could recoup the cost of its response.
“My concern is, we’re already in a ban. This is a unique situation,” Allocco said. “They issued the permit, and the developer failed to control the fire, and now we’re being required to subsidize this through our fire funds. It would be totally different if this was during normal times, but they decided to issue it and the developer decided to burn during a ban.”
County Attorney Jon Jouben said the county cannot directly charge for emergency response expenses but agreed to research the question. Hasenmeier suggested billing the Florida Forest Service for the assistance may be an option.
Commissioner Ryan Amsler, who said he stopped to watch the fire as he drove past, called for a strong response.
“I think a clear message needs to be sent,” he said.
Commissioner Brian Hawkins noted the fire broke out near residential neighborhoods and a major thoroughfare, with winds of 15 to 20 mph.
“They put thousands of homes at risk that day, thinking that it was a good idea to start that fire,” Hawkins said, adding that the developer should be held accountable.
Commissioner Steve Champion said the county should pursue legal options. Chairman Jerry Campbell said a school and other public gathering places were also nearby.
“We’re lucky it was not worse than it was,” Campbell said, calling the incident “definitely neglect on the developer’s part” given the conditions.
According to a May 16 Hernando County Fire Rescue social media post, the contractor had been conducting the burn using an air curtain incinerator under a permit from the Withlacoochee Forestry Center when the fire escaped.
Investigation
The site, which has been mostly clear-cut, faces a separate review for possible permit violations, Development Services Director Omar DePablo said during the commissioner comments portion of the meeting.
A zoning inspector visited the property and captured drone footage, DePablo said.
“It seems that they went further north than the drainage retention pond that they were approved for and they could remove the buffer from,” DePablo said. “As of right now, the plan is to red-tag the project, stop the construction and have them survey the entire buffer, put in the silt fence so we know where it’s at, and then we’ll work with them on a plan to at least put up a fence on the home that was most affected by the buffer being completely removed, and then start the replanting process.”
Hawkins said he had heard of additional violations at the site.