At an emergency meeting, the Baker County Board of County Commissioners approved Resolution 2025-20 and enacted a countywide burn ban effective immediately to address rapidly worsening drought conditions and recurring fires. Speaker 3, who asked the board to adopt the measure, said the county's drought map shows widespread high KVDI readings and reported, "We've had a lot of fires in the last week. Probably almost every day, we've had a fire. We had 2 today already." Speaker 6 read the resolution aloud as "a resolution of the board of county commissioners of Baker County, Florida declaring a local state of emergency in Baker County and issuing a ban against burning, providing full recall of same, and establishing an effective date."

The ban prohibits open burning countywide and allows only two categories of permitted fires: "a barbecue grill that is either gas or charcoal within the county" and burns authorized by the Florida Forest Service or the office of the forest area supervisor referenced in the meeting. Speaker 3 told the board the county's drought-index conditions included pockets with readings "over 700," with "800 is the worst you can get," and said officials will reassess the ban weekly based on rainfall and fire activity. During questions, Speaker 4 asked what KVDI level would allow rescinding the ban; the board indicated officials generally look for KVDI readings in the low 500s and will base decisions on observed rainfall and incident activity. Speaker 5 said, "We will make a public announcement when it's rescinded."

The resolution applies to the entire county and the city of McClenny, Speaker 3 clarified. The board moved and seconded the approval; after the vote Speaker 1 announced, "Motion carries unanimously." No roll-call vote with individual commissioner names was recorded in the transcript. After adopting the resolution, the board promptly moved to adjourn.

What happens next: county officials said they will reassess the ban weekly and will publicly announce when it is lifted. The resolution text read at the meeting establishes the local state of emergency and the ban; enforcement details and any penalties were not specified during the session.