New wildfires in Florida have sent residents fleeing their homes and closed roadways to traffic.
The Sunshine State is forecast to experience a busier-than-average wildfire season this spring.
Earlier this month, Florida Commissioner of Agriculture Wilton Simpson and the Florida Forest Service warned Floridians that they needed to be ready for a potentially busy wildfire season after the National Interagency Fire Center predicted an above-average season.
Florida’s peak wildfire impacts usually occur from April through June. However, since January, more than 1,000 wildfires in the Sunshine State have burned 51,000 acres.
In March, fire crews in Miami-Dade battled several large wildfires that threatened homes, prompting evacuations.
Last year’s busy hurricane season, with several major hurricane landfalls in Florida, is contributing to the increasing fire danger because of the abundant debris across the state.
According to the Florida Forest Service, much of Central Florida remains at high fire danger on the Fire Danger Index, while the entire state faces moderate fire danger.
“Several factors could make this a busy wildfire season, including leftover debris from multiple hurricanes and forecasts calling for less rain this spring,” Florida Forest Service Director Rick Dolan said in a statement. “I’m encouraging people to pay attention to the weather, especially wind, relative humidity, and days since rain. Spring is here, and we need to be wildfire ready.”
On Wednesday, a large brush fire in Hendry County prompted evacuations in the community of Montura Ranch Estates, about an hour east of Fort Myers. The Hendry County Sheriff’s Office said homes in the area were evacuated, and the power has been shut off.
More than an hour northeast of Henry County, another fire started Wednesday on Florida’s Space Coast. The Digital Fire in Melbourne quickly consumed 25 acres.
According to Melbourne officials, the fire shut down at least one road in the area.
No evacuations were ordered after a more than 100-acre fire sparked west of New Smyrna Beach on Tuesday. The Florida Forest Service called in helicopters to help with containment lines, according to the Volusia County Fire Rescue.
With conditions ripe for wildfires to spread quickly, burn bans are in place for nearly 10 counties in Southwest and Central Florida, including Polk County, where a ban was put into effect Tuesday.
“In an abundance of caution and after looking at all the information provided, we have decided it is necessary that we issue a burn ban,” Polk County Fire Rescue Chief Shawn Smith said in a news release. “We are experiencing widespread dry conditions across Polk County that lead to the increased potential for wildfires. So, to minimize the risk and help ensure the safety of all Polk County residents and visitors, along with our public safety members, we ask you to be a good neighbor and adhere to the ban while it is in effect.”
According to the U.S. Drought Monitor, all of Central, West, and South Florida are experiencing some level of drought, with severe drought in Florida’s Heartland, where several fires have sparked in recent weeks.
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