MANATEE COUNTY, Fla. — Right now the threat of wildfires is growing in Florida, and officials want to make sure residents are prepared.

According to state statistics, more than 1,000 wildfires have burned over 33,000 acres so far in 2023.

Manatee County, like other counties, is experiencing a severe drought.  

Logan Hatch, who has a been a forest ranger at Florida Forest Service for eight years, was double-checking his fire gear when Spectrum News visited.

He does checks like this every day to make sure everything is there before heading out to a call, including inspecting the John Deere teams use at wildfires.

“This is our initial attack for all wildfires in Florida,” Hatch said.

He says the land this year in Manatee County is dryer than it was last year.

“Right now we have been experiencing more fires," Hatch said. "We are getting above average number of fires that we are going out and actually containing in this area."

Logan Hatch is standing next to fire gear and equipment (Julia Hazel/Spectrum Bay News 9)

Florida Forest Service maps on the organization's website have Manatee County is in the orange category, leaving Manatee County in a severe drought according to the National Drought Mitigation Center.

While Hatch says wildfires can start on their own, most calls the teams respond to involve fires started by people.

“Majority of the ones we’ve encountered right now have been people burning their piles," he said. "That’s why it’s so important to stay with their piles at all times."

But recently, Hatch says debris left over from Hurricane Ian has only increased the concern about wildfires.

“All that blow down, the trees, it just provided more fuel for the wildfires,” he said.

Hatch and his team at the Florida Forest Service recommend people drown any fires with water and stir it with a shovel and make sure there is no heat.

The Florida Forest Service team says rain is the only way to help with the current drought.