St. Petersburg is taking a tire shop to court over uncovered tire piles the city calls a public health threat, as dengue fever cases continue climbing across Pinellas County.

The city accused Thach Tire and Rim, a business on 16th Street North, of storing uncovered vehicle tires since at least April, according to court documents first reported by WTSP. City officials said the tire piles pose harm to the surrounding community.

The case matters beyond St. Petersburg. Pinellas County remains under a mosquito-borne illness alert for dengue, and the Florida Department of Health reported 67 locally acquired cases in the county as of Oct. 30, according to Pinellas County Government. The Tampa Bay area has logged 456 confirmed cases, with 385 in Hillsborough County.

Health officials have warned for months that tires are among the worst breeding grounds for mosquitoes when rainwater collects in them. A small amount of standing water is enough to create a breeding site, according to WTSP's reporting.

Court order: Judge Amy Williams of the Sixth Judicial Circuit Court denied the temporary injunction and the city's request to abate the problem, based on Tuesday's testimony, WTSP reported. She ordered the tires tarped by 4 p.m. the following day and at the close of each business day.

Williams also ordered the business to "remove the remaining tires or place them in the container by Tuesday November 10th, 2026 by 4:00 p.m. or, if the container arrives sooner, within 24 hours of the arrival of the container." The business owner's daughter said a tire container had been ordered and was expected to arrive between Friday and Monday; by Saturday, one was in use to store tires in an enclosed structure, WTSP reported.

Pinellas outbreak by the numbers

The 2026 Florida dengue outbreak is the largest in the United States in decades, WUSF reported. The state hit 485 cases as of Oct. 30. Florida's previous high was 199 cases in 2023.

Hillsborough and Pinellas counties combined for 55 new locally acquired cases in the week ending Oct. 24, according to WUSF. Pinellas added 16 cases that week, up from 14 the week before.

Pinellas County Mosquito Control has expanded surveillance, inspections and treatments, according to the county. Crews have conducted aerial mosquito larvae treatments in parts of St. Petersburg and Clearwater and are going door-to-door in areas of concern to help residents dump or treat standing water.

The mosquitoes that spread dengue, Aedes aegypti and Aedes albopictus, lay eggs in containers that hold water, including tires, buckets, plant dishes and trash cans, according to Pinellas County. Even a bottle cap of water is enough for them to breed.

Residents can help by dumping standing water around homes and businesses, using insect repellent and wearing protective clothing. To report mosquito concerns, contact Pinellas County Mosquito Control at 727-464-7503.