Florida fire emergency: state’s largest blaze continues to grow

Florida fire emergency: state’s largest blaze continues to grow

12 April 2017

USA More than 100 wildfires continued to burn Wednesday across Florida, one day after Gov. Rick Scott declared a state of emergency.

The largest active fire, known has the Cowbell fire, has scorched nearly 25 square miles. The blaze that began March 30 in the Big Cypress National Reserve is 11 percent contained, according to InciWeb.

Nearly a quarter of the fires have burned more than 100 acres each, according to the Florida Forest Service. Since February, some 125 square miles have been scorched across the state. Twenty-seven homes have been lost, said Agriculture Commissioner Adam Putnam.

According to Putnam, this has been the state’s most active wildfire season since 2011.

“From St. George Island in the Panhandle to just north of one of the world’s most famous tourist attractions in Orlando, we’re seeing that every area of our state is susceptible to fire,” Putnam said.

A Florida Fire Service map shows most of the fires have started between Lake Okeechobee to the south and the Ocala National Forest to the north. Polk, Collier, Marion, Nassau, Broward, Hernando and Glades counties have been hard hit.

Over the last 30 years, the landscape annually affected by forest fires has slowly increased across the Pacific Northwest, and in some regions, severe blazes account for a higher proportion of the area burned than in the past.

On Monday, a man was charged with reckless burning of leaves in connection with a large blaze that broke out on St. George Island over the weekend, the Tallahassee Democrat reported. No injuries or property damage was reported, and the fire was extinguished by Saturday around midnight.

“There is no corner of the state that is not facing severe wildfire conditions,” Putnam said Tuesday.

The fires currently burning and the possibility of more fires associated with the ongoing dry conditions prompted the governor to declare an emergency on Tuesday.

“This may only get worse as we enter the hotter summer months and it is crucial that we take every action right now to be prepared,” Scott said. “It is incredibly important that wildfire response is swift and deliberate and this state of emergency will make it easier for our state, regional and local agencies to quickly work together to protect our families, visitors and communities.”

According to weather.com meteorologist Chris Dolce, a high pressure over the eastern U.S. the next several days will keep an easterly wind flow over the state of Florida, resulting in breezy conditions, particularly in the afternoon hours.

“The is a chance of a few showers, but no widespread soaking rain is expected in the foreseeable future,” Dolce said.

Drought conditions have already spread throughout the Florida Peninsula.

About 42 percent of the state was in drought as of April 4, Dolce said. Some of the worst drought conditions are in southwest Florida where Naples has a rainfall deficit of more than 8 inches since Nov. 1, he added.

Wildfires can occur in Florida any time of year, Dolce said, but they can be particularly active in the late winter and spring months.

“This is due to the fact that the state is in the typical dry season when rainfall is less frequent and the air is less humid,” said Dolce. “The air becomes more humid and the return of afternoon thunderstorms begins in late spring and continues through summer, lessening the wildfire threat.”

12. April 2017/by GFMCadmin