125 Wildfires Burn Across Florida Despite Rain

TALLAHASSEE, FL — While the Tampa Bay area and much of the state saw much-needed rain over the weekend, it wasn’t enough to end drought conditions or threats of wildfires, according to state officials. As of Monday, in fact, 125 active wildfires continued to burn across the state. Most counties in Central and Southwestern Florida were also still experiencing moderate to very high wildfire risks, state officials say.

“Even with rain across parts of Florida over the weekend, much of the state is experiencing drought conditions and elevated wildfire danger,” Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services Commissioner Adam H. Putnam said in a Monday statement. “Residents and visitors need to pay attention to and comply with local burn bans and should take every precaution to help prevent wildfire.”

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As of Monday, Putnam’s office reported that 2,273 separate wildfires have burned more than 171,000 acres of land since 2017 began. A total of 125 active wildfires were reported across the state on May 22 with 122 of those burning on lands under state jurisdiction. Of the 122 wildfires on lands under the Florida Forest Service’s jurisdiction, 30 were considered major. Those 30 fires, all spanning 100 acres or more, covered a combined total of 38,298 acres.

The Florida Forest Service also reported that three wildfires continued to burn Monday on lands under federal jurisdiction in the Sunshine State. Those fires combined totaled about 182,000 acres.

See also: Cold Front Set To Shake Up Tampa Bay’s Weather

While the National Weather Service says the Tampa Bay area is in for rain over the next few days courtesy of a cold front moving into the region, “conditions are forecast to get even drier and warmer into late spring and early summer,” Putnam warned. May tends to be one of the driest months of the year in Florida.

To check out the locations were active wildfires were reported as of May 22, view the graphic below provided by the Florida Forest Service:

To see a county-by-county breakdown of wildfire risks, check out the below graphic:

As wildfire season continues, burn bans are in place in the following counties:

For more information on wildfires, county burn bans and fire dangers, visit the state’s website.

Photo courtesy of Pasco County