Lafayette County Sheriff's Office

Lafayette County Sheriff's Office LCSO is responsible for providing law enforcement for the 548 square miles of Lafayette County.

LCSO is also responsible for maintaining the Lafayette County Jail and providing Dispatch for Fire and Rescue through out the county. The Lafayette County Sheriff's Office reserves the right to remove comments that are offensive, profane, or derogatory in nature. We further reserve the right to temporary ban access to page for repeated postings that contain offensive, profane, or derogatory remarks and to permanently ban access if such comments continue when access is reinstated.

05/27/2026

Florida Forest Service fire crews continue to work on the South Canal Fire in Lafayette County. The District’s Mallory Swamp tract is open; however, work related to the South Canal Fire and an active timber harvest is ongoing. This means South Canal Road is still closed and visitors to the tract are encouraged to use caution when traveling.

ATV access remains closed at this time.

Lafayette County has lifted the burn ban.
05/27/2026

Lafayette County has lifted the burn ban.

Here in Lafayette County, we understand the meaning of service and sacrifice.This Memorial Day, the Lafayette County She...
05/24/2026

Here in Lafayette County, we understand the meaning of service and sacrifice.

This Memorial Day, the Lafayette County Sheriff’s Office proudly honors the brave men and women of our military who gave their lives for our country. We remember their courage, their sacrifice, and the families who continue to carry their memory.

May we never forget the true purpose of this day.

God bless our fallen heroes.

!!!!Update!!!!!Juvenile has been located safe.MISSING JUVENILEAlana L. DawsonDOB: 09/19/2008Alana was last seen wearing ...
05/24/2026

!!!!Update!!!!!
Juvenile has been located safe.

MISSING JUVENILE

Alana L. Dawson
DOB: 09/19/2008
Alana was last seen wearing a dark gray American Eagle shirt, blue jeans, pink socks, and white Crocs. She left her home in Mayo on Saturday, May 23, at approximately 2:00 PM to walk to Family Dollar, but never arrived. Her guardians do not know where she may be at this time.
If anyone has seen Alana or has any information regarding her whereabouts, please contact the Lafayette County Sheriff’s Office immediately.
Please share this post to help bring her home safely.

South Canal Fire Update – May 13, 2026 Location: 15 miles north of Cross City. Lafayette County ...
05/13/2026

South Canal Fire Update – May 13, 2026

Location: 15 miles north of Cross City. Lafayette County Personnel: 72
Acres: 2,200 Containment: 93%
Equipment: 5 tractor-plow units, 4 heavy dozers and 9 brush trucks

CURRENT SITUATION: Today is the final day that the Florida Forest Service Incident Management Team will be assigned to the South Canal Fire, with Perry District management resuming command of operations at 4 p.m. Equipment and personnel on hand after the transition will be four heavy dozers and eight brush trucks as well as support staff. This will be the final news release on this fire barring significant developments.
Favorable weather conditions and near-complete containment bode well for future operations, but heat still is lingering within the root masses throughout the fire’s footprint. With rain falling on the fire the previous two days, crews were limited in making access to interior portions of the fire and focused on monitoring and patrol lines to avoid further damage to resources and road systems.
Crews will continue to mop up hot spots near the line and improve dozer lines as needed today in anticipation of a four-day drying trend.

WEATHER/SMOKE: Thunderstorms brought rain to the fire most of Tuesday, with winds out of the northeast at 3 mph with gusts to 13. Longer-range forecasts call for a return of thunderstorms by the weekend.

SAFETY: County-issued burn bans remain in place for Dixie, Lafayette, Madison and Taylor counties. For a full list of burn bans, visit www.FDACS.gov/Wildfire and click on “Current Wildfire Information.”

MORE INFORMATION:
Follow the Florida Forest Service Perry District on X at FFS_Perry
For more fire safety information, visit BeWildfireReadyFL.com.
The Florida Forest Service, a division of the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services, manages more than 1 million acres of state forests and provides forest management assistance on more than 17 million acres of private and community forests. The Florida Forest Service is also responsible for protecting homes, forestland and natural resources from the devastating effects wildfire on more than 26 million acres. Learn more at FDACS.gov/FLForestService.

South Canal Fire Update – May 12, 2026 Location: 15 miles north of Cross City. Lafayette County ...
05/12/2026

South Canal Fire Update – May 12, 2026

Location: 15 miles north of Cross City. Lafayette County Personnel: 72
Acres: 2,200 Containment: 93%
Equipment: 10 tractor-plow units and heavy dozers, 4 brush trucks, additional specialized equipment

CURRENT SITUATION: With recent and continued rains, the Florida Forest Service Incident Management Team overseeing the South Canal Fire has been able to release resources to their home units as suppression needs diminish. A strike team of heavy dozers, four brush trucks and essential support personnel will remain assigned to the fire as the team prepares to turn operations back to Perry District management. As drought conditions remain throughout much of the state, crews will return home, get some much-deserved rest and be ready to respond to fires as needed.
Mop-up operations will continue today as needed. After several days of smoldering heat in the root system, trees have become unstable and have started to fall in some area, threatening both firefighter safety and the security of the line.

WEATHER/SMOKE: Thunderstorms will bring rain to the fire most of today, with winds out of the northeast at 4 mph with gusts to 16. Longer-range forecasts call for an extending drying trend beginning later in the week.

SAFETY: County-issued burn bans remain in place for Dixie, Lafayette, Madison and Taylor counties. For a full list of burn bans, visit www.FDACS.gov/Wildfire and click on “Current Wildfire Information.”

MORE INFORMATION:
Follow the Florida Forest Service Perry District on X at FFS_Perry
Phone: (8 a.m.-8 p.m.) 850-206-2675
Email: [email protected]
For more fire safety information, visit BeWildfireReadyFL.com.
The Florida Forest Service, a division of the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services, manages more than 1 million acres of state forests and provides forest management assistance on more than 17 million acres of private and community forests. The Florida Forest Service is also responsible for protecting homes, forestland and natural resources from the devastating effects wildfire on more than 26 million acres. Learn more at FDACS.gov/FLForestService.

South Canal Fire Update – May 11, 2026Location: 15 miles north of Cross City. Lafayette County ...
05/11/2026

South Canal Fire Update – May 11, 2026
Location: 15 miles north of Cross City. Lafayette County Personnel: 138
Acres: 2,200 Containment: 59%
Equipment: 42 tractor-plow units and heavy dozers, 4 brush trucks, additional specialized equipment

CURRENT SITUATION: Extinguishing remaining heat sources that threaten the containment line and reinforcing established fire lines remain the top priorities for both private crews and Florida Forest Service wildland firefighters. Brush truck teams are actively patrolling the perimeter for flare‑ups, while dozer operators continue widening and strengthening existing fire breaks.
Crews have built lines around the fire’s perimeter and are working to take a more direct attack as close to the fire’s edge as possible where it is safe to do so – predominantly around Tar Bucket and Beehive roads in the southeast quadrant.
The majority of the containment percentage comes from the fire’s northern half. An area of the fire is considered contained when the line has been wind and weather tested, and firefighters are certain inevitable future weather changes will not threaten established boundaries. On larger, dynamic fires, management personnel must look several days in advance in order to predict fire behavior and weather conditions to refine their operational plans before they can call a portion of line contained.

WEATHER/SMOKE: Light and variable winds are predicted today, with west winds between 4 mph with gusts to 13. These winds may push smoke into Brandford and Midway and possibly impact the US 27/State Road 20 corridor.
Impacts from Saturdays’ showers continue to minimize fire behavior and more rain is in the forecast for today and Tuesday. Longer-range forecasts call for an extending drying trend beginning later in the week.

SAFETY: County-issued burn bans are in place for Dixie, Lafayette, Madison and Taylor counties. For a full list of burn bans, visit www.FDACS.gov/Wildfire and click on “Current Wildfire Information.”

MORE INFORMATION:
Follow the Florida Forest Service Perry District on X at FFS_Perry
Phone: (8 a.m.-8 p.m.) 850-206-2675
Email: [email protected]
For more fire safety information, visit BeWildfireReadyFL.com.

The Florida Forest Service, a division of the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services, manages more than 1 million acres of state forests and provides forest management assistance on more than 17 million acres of private and community forests. The Florida Forest Service is also responsible for protecting homes, forestland and natural resources from the devastating effects wildfire on more than 26 million acres. Learn more at FDACS.gov/FLForestService.

South Canal Fire Update – May 10, 2026 Location: 15 miles north of Cross City. Lafayette County ...
05/10/2026

South Canal Fire Update – May 10, 2026

Location: 15 miles north of Cross City. Lafayette County Personnel: 99
Acres: 2,200 Containment: 37%
Equipment: 42 tractor-plow units and heavy dozers, 4 brush trucks, additional specialized equipment

CURRENT SITUATION: Wildland firefighters from the Florida Forest Service and cooperator crews continue to improve the South Canal Fire’s containment lines by taking advantage of the favorable conditions. Four brush trucks have been brought in to begin mop-up operations, extinguishing lingering heat that could threaten containment lines.
Conditions are conducive for minimal fire behavior, with slow creeping fires allowing for predictable progression of the fire. Fallen timber from past weather events, such as hurricanes Idalia, Debby and Helene, are a continued fuel source despite recent rains because of long-standing drought, large dead and downed trees remain flammable, and crews continue to improve containment lines in anticipation of a drying trend later in the week.
WEATHER/SMOKE: Light rain fell over the fire area Friday and Saturday but not enough to put it out. Today’s forecast calls for a continued chance of rain with southwest winds about 4 mph with gusts to 12. These winds will push smoke into Brandford and Midway and possibly impact the US 27/State Road 20 corridor.
Even with smoke in the area, air quality is generally good to moderate and can be monitored at www.AirNow.gov and entering your zip code.
SAFETY: County-issued burn bans are in place for Dixie, Lafayette, Madison and Taylor counties. For a full list of burn bans, visit www.FDACS.gov/Wildfire and click on “Current Wildfire Information.”
Residents should avoid the fire area and use caution on US 19 as fire traffic will be heavy at times. If drivers encounter smoke, treat it as fog, turn on your low-beam headlights and proceed with caution. If visibility becomes too low, turn on your hazard lights, pull safely off the road and wait for conditions to improve.
MORE INFORMATION:
Follow the Florida Forest Service Perry District on X at FFS_Perry
Phone: (8 a.m.-8 p.m.) 850-206-2675
Email: [email protected]
For more fire safety information, visit BeWildfireReadyFL.com.
The Florida Forest Service, a division of the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services, manages more than 1 million acres of state forests and provides forest management assistance on more than 17 million acres of private and community forests. The Florida Forest Service is also responsible for protecting homes, forestland and natural resources from the devastating effects wildfire on more than 26 million acres. Learn more at FDACS.gov/FLForestService.

South Canal Fire Update – May 8, 2026 Location: 15 miles north of Cross City. Lafayette County.Acres: 1,700 ...
05/08/2026

South Canal Fire Update – May 8, 2026

Location: 15 miles north of Cross City. Lafayette County.
Acres: 1,700
Containment: 10%
Personnel: 85
Equipment: 30 tractor-plow units

CURRENT SITUATION: Firefighters from the Florida Forest Service and cooperating agencies have been battling the South Canal Fire for four days deep in Rawhide Sog and Mallory Swamp Wildlife Management Area which is part of the Suwannee River Water Management District.
Crews have been working day and night to build containment lines around the fire which sits at 1,600 acres and 10% contained. Fire officials are working closely with the Lafayette County Sheriff’s Office and there are no structures threatened and no evacuations in place.
Air tankers and helicopters worked the fire perimeter most of Thursday to help secure containment lines. The tankers made an estimated 30 retardant drops. Today’s focus will be to improving roads to help hold the fire in the northeast quadrant as forecast winds will try to push the fire toward Branford which is 11 miles away.
A Florida Forest Service incident management team has been called in to help oversee operations.

WEATHER: Increased winds with gusts as high as 20 mph associated with a passing front challenged firefighters Thursday. High overnight humidity helped moderate fire behavior, and scattered showers are forecast today. Forecasts call for increased chances of rain throughout the area over the coming days.

SAFETY: County-issued burn bans are in place for Dixie, Lafayette, Madison and Taylor counties as well as surrounding counties. For a complete list of burn bans throughout Florida, visit www.FDACS.gov/Wildfire and click on “Current Wildfire Information.”
Residents should avoid the fire area and use caution on US 19 as fire traffic will be heavy at times. If drivers encounter smoke, treat it as fog, turn on your low-beam headlights and proceed with caution. If visibility becomes too low, turn on your hazard lights, pull safely off the road and wait for conditions to improve.

MORE INFORMATION:
Phone: (8 a.m.-8 p.m.) 850-206-2675
Email: [email protected]
For more fire safety information, visit BeWildfireReadyFL.com.
The Florida Forest Service, a division of the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services, manages more than 1 million acres of state forests and provides forest management assistance on more than 17 million acres of private and community forests. The Florida Forest Service is also responsible for protecting homes, forestland and natural resources from the devastating effects wildfire on more than 26 million acres. Learn more at
FDACS.gov/FLForestService.

Address

231 NW Monroe Ave/PO Box 227
Mayo, FL
32066

Telephone

+13862941222

Website

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