Florida On Fire: 142 Active Blazes Reported

TALLAHASSEE, FL — The number of active wildfires burning across the state of Florida rose to 142 on Thursday. That number was reached as red flag warnings remained in place throughout much of the state with no rain in sight for the Tampa Bay area until the weekend at least.

According to the Florida Forest Service, a total of 138 active wildfires were burning on lands under its jurisdiction as of 7:30 a.m. May 11. Those fires covered 30,863 acres. Twenty-five of the fires were deemed major, meaning they span 100 acres or more. Several of the major fires are in the Tampa Bay area, including Pasco County’s Anclote Branch blaze in the Starkey Wilderness Preserve and Hillsborough’s Flatwoods Park fire.

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State officials also reported that four wildfires remained active on federal lands within the state. Those four fires combine to span more than 167,000 acres.

Since 2017 began, the Forest Service says 95,641 acres of land have burned in areas under its jurisdiction.

Earlier this week, state officials issued a plea to residents and visitors to exercise caution as conditions remain especially dry in much of Florida.

“Florida is in the middle of its worst wildfire season in years – with no end in sight,” Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Affairs Commissioner Adam Putnam said in a May 8 statement. “With such an active wildfire season and much of Florida experiencing significant drought conditions, residents and visitors should take every precaution to help prevent wildfires.”

May is traditionally one of Florida’s driest months, Putnam said, and forecasters anticipate conditions will only get drier and warmer heading into late spring and early summer. Considering the dangers, Gov. Rick Scott issued a wildfire-related state of emergency declaration on April 11. That declaration remains in place. The last time the state had to issue an emergency executive order related to wildfires was June 2011, Putnam said.

While the causes of many of the wildfires remain under investigation, the state has said at least 320 have been blamed on arson. Officials are asking residents across the state to report any suspicious fire-related activity they see to local law enforcement.

The National Weather Service has issued red flag warnings through Thursday for most counties in the Tampa Bay area and throughout Central Florida. The forecast calls for the possibility of rain in the Tampa Bay area on Saturday, but rain chains dry up by Sunday.

To see the locations of the active wildfires reported by the state as of May 11, check out the graphic below:

With wildfires a concern across much of the state, many counties have issued bans on outdoor burning. Most counties in the Tampa Bay area, in fact, have issued their own emergency declarations related to wildfires. To see which counties are under burn bans, check out the graphic below provided by the Florida Forest Service:

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

Photo courtesy of Hernando County