Another Florida county issues burn ban as drought worsens. Is rain on its way?
The number of wildfires burning across Florida jumped to 107 Thursday, May 1.
That's seven more fires than were reported just 24 hours ago and it's a reflection of the extremely dry conditions being felt across Florida, especially along the peninsula.
Don't get your hopes up too much, but increased chances for rain may be coming this weekend for some areas.
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Three separate areas are suffering from extreme drought conditions, according to NOAA's National Integrated Drought Information System. Extreme drought conditions have expanded in South Florida, moving farther into Collier and Hendry counties.
As of Thursday, May 1, there were 107 wildfires burning across Florida, burning 3,474 acres.
The number of counties issuing burn bans also has increased, with the total now up to 23, almost one-third of the state.
The mean statewide drought index is at 482, up five points since April 30.
NOAA's National Integrated Drought Information System posted on X conditions across the state range from abnormally dry to extreme drought.
"Some areas have precip deficits over 6' in the last 90 days. Little to no precip is expected for at least another week." A total of 51.8% of the state are under drought conditions."
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The breakdown of drought conditions in the state, which affects 14 million residents, is:
Abnormally dry: 41.9%
Moderate drought: 18.5%
Severe drought: 28.5%
Extreme drought: 4.9%
Exceptional drought: 0%
➤ Maps: See drought conditions by county
"Rainfall deficits over the last 90 days have reached widespread of 2-4" inches below normal throughout most of the state, with areas north of and along the I-10 corridor as well as much of South Florida seeing larger departures near 4-8' below normal," according to the Florida Department of Emergency Management.
Even North Florida — with the exception of the western Panhandle — which has gotten more rain than most of Florida's peninsula, is starting to see "emerging drought" conditions.
The Climate Prediction Center is "predicting above-normal temperatures for the entire state and leaning below normal rain chances throughout the Big Bend and the Peninsula for the month of May," according to the Florida Department of Emergency Management.
Rain chances are expected to increase for some areas over the weekend, though, especially on the state's west coast and east-central Florida, according to the National Weather Service.
There were 16 active wildfires burning as of Thursday morning.
The largest fires in the state are:
Hurst Hammock Fire: 200 acres in Escambia County. 0% contained
Sidell East Fire: 34 acres in Manatee County. 85% contained
Crooked Creek Lane Fire: 25 acres in Hardee County. 80% contained
"Wildfire names are generally based on the geographic location of the fire or a nearby geographic feature," according to Tim Brown, communications manager with the Florida Forest Service, in an email.
"For example, the '344 Fire' was due to its location near 344 Street."
It'll be warm and dry through Friday along Florida's west coast, according to the National Weather Service Tampa Bay. Rain chances increase over the weekend and into next week.
The "long stretch of dry weather" are expected to continue in South Florida, according to the National Weather Service Miami.
In east-central Florida, the forecast is for mostly dry weather to continue through Friday. Chances for showers and lightning storms increase over the weekend.
In North Florida, warm and dry conditions are forecast to last through Friday, according to the National Weather Service Jacksonville.
Western Panhandle, Pensacola: Partly sunny, slight chance for thunderstorms. High 80. Low 73.
Central Panhandle, Tallahassee: Partly sunny. High 85. Low 64.
Northeast Florida, Jacksonville: Mostly sunny. High 84. Low 66.
East Coast, Central Florida from Daytona Beach to Stuart: Mostly sunny. High 81. Low 69.
South Florida, West Palm Beach, Naples: Mostly sunny. High 77. Low 74.
Southwest Florida, Fort Myers to Sarasota: Partly sunny. High 80. Low 69.
The Keetch-Byram Drought Index mean for Florida was 482 on May 1. The drought index uses a scale from 0, which is very wet, to 800, which is very dry.
As of May 1, there were 14 counties with a drought index over 600, which means severe drought conditions with an increased risk for wildfires.
There were 16xx Florida counties with a mean Keetch-Byram Drought Index over 500, which means drought or increased fire danger.
Here are the counties with a drought index over 600, which is associated with more severe drought with increased wildfire occurring:
Counties in bold were just added to each section.
Broward: 618
Charlotte: 636
Collier: 653
DeSoto: 608
Glades: 624
Hardee: 635
Hendry: 655
Lake: 608
Lee: 665
Manatee: 624
Miami-Dade: 618
Monroe: 619
Palm Beach: 642
Sarasota: 630
Counties with drought index in the 500s:
Brevard: 542
Citrus: 510
Flagler: 538
Hernando: 524
Highlands: 588
Hillsborough: 574
Martin: 590
Okeechobee: 556
Orange: 571
Osceola: 522
Pasco: 595
Pinellas: 525
Polk: 583
Seminole: 575
Sumter: 586
Volusia: 589
Another nine of Florida's 67 counties have index numbers in the 400s.
Here's an explanation of what the Keetch-Byram Drought Index numbers mean, according to the Wildland Fire Assessment System.
0-200: Soil moisture and large-class fuel moistures are high and do not contribute much to fire intensity. Typical of spring dormant season following winter precipitation.
200-400: Typical of late spring, early growing season. Lower litter and duff layers are drying and beginning to contribute to fire intensity.
400-600: Typical of late summer, early fall. Lower litter and duff layers actively contribute to fire intensity and will burn actively.
600-800: Often associated with more severe drought with increased wildfire occurrence. Intense, deep burning fires with significant downwind spotting can be expected. Live fuels can also be expected to burn actively at these levels.
According to the Florida Forest Service, as of May 1, 23 burn bans are in place for the following counties:
Brevard
Charlotte
Citrus
Collier
DeSoto
Flagler
Glades
Hardee
Hendry
Hernando
Highlands
Lake
Lee
Manatee
Okeechobee
Orange
Osceola
Pasco
Polk
Sarasota
Seminole
Sumter
Volusia
The open burning of yard debris is always prohibited in these counties:
Duval
Hillsborough
Orange
Pinellas
We will continue to update our weather coverage as conditions warrant. Download your local site's app to ensure you're always connected to the news. And subscribe here.
This article originally appeared on Sarasota Herald-Tribune: Florida drought: 107 wildfires, 23 burn bans. See rain forecast
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