Latest news with #GatorFire
Yahoo
28-03-2025
- Climate
- Yahoo
Wildfires threaten more Florida homes as drought worsens. Will it rain soon?
As rain continues to elude most of Florida, the number of wildfires continues to grow across the state, and several counties were placed under a red flag warning Friday, March 28. As of Friday morning, there are 61 wildfires in the state, up from 59 Thursday morning, according to the Florida Forest Service. ➤ Weather alerts via text: Sign up to get updates about current storms and weather events by location The Martin County Sheriff's Office evacuated about a dozen homes in Palm City Thursday as firefighters battled two brush fires that have burned 210 acres. As of Thursday night, the Gator Fire was 50% contained. It was the second time in two days homes were evacuated as wildfires neared homes. A fire in Collier County Wednesday threatened homes and a park, prompting evacuations. The biggest fire in the state continues to be the 344 Fire in south Miami-Dade County, which has burned almost 27,000 acres as of March 28, according to the Florida Forest Service. It is now 95% contained. Most of Florida's peninsula is abnormally dry, with two large sections of the state under severe drought conditions, according to the Florida Department of Emergency Management. The Keetch-Byram Drought Index average for Florida continues to climb again, jumping to a statewide average of 339 Thursday from 332 on Wednesday. Red flag warnings extend along the West Coast into portions of Central Florida. The drought index uses a scale from 0, which is very wet, to 800, which is very dry. As of Thursday, March 27, there were 14 Florida counties with an average Keetch-Byram Drought Index over 500, which means drought or increased fire danger. Highlands and Sumter counties were the newest additions. Broward: 660 Charlotte: 539 Collier: 610 Glades: 582 Hardee: 521 Hendry: 595 Highlands: 504 Lake: 514 Lee: 575 Manatee: 511 Miami-Dade: 609 Monroe: 584 Palm Beach: 609 Sarasota: 515 Sumter: 503 Another 14 of Florida's 67 counties have index numbers in the 400s. The National Weather Service has issued red flag warnings for 14 counties: Charlotte Citrus DeSoto Hardee Hernando Hillsborough Lake Lee Manatee Pasco Pinellas Polk Sarasota Sumter A red flag warning is issued when "critical fire weather conditions" are in place. "A red flag warning means warm temperatures, very low humidity, and stronger winds are expected to combine to produce an increased risk of fire danger," the National Weather Service said. Officials in Palm City urged residents of about a dozen homes to evacuate as firefighters fought two brush fires Thursday. Friday morning, the Florida Forest Service said the Gator Fire in Martin County had burned 210 acres and was 50% contained. The second fire burned about an acre in Hobe Sound. A fire near the Naples community of Wilshire Lakes prompted officials to ask residents to evacuate. North Collier Regional Park was closed, along with several roads in the area. "There were huge flames in people's backyards, in our neighborhood, and the smoke just kept rising and rising," said Kristin Milewicz, a resident of the Wilshire Lakes neighborhood. The Collier Regional fire, which grew to 10 acres, was 99 percent contained Friday morning, according to the Florida Forest Service. Pensacola, western Panhandle: Friday, March 28, will be dry, according to the National Weather Service Mobile. Tallahassee, central Panhandle: Dry weather will continue through Friday, according to the National Weather Service Tallahassee. Northeast Florida: Friday will be partly sunny and breezy. Winds could gust as high as 26 mph, according to the National Weather Service Jacksonville. East-central Florida: It'll be warm and partly sunny Friday with gusty conditions, according to the National Weather Service Melbourne. South Florida: Friday will be dry with breezy winds that could gust up to 30 mph, according to the National Weather Service Miami. Southwest Florida: Expect very warm and dry conditions Friday, March 28, the National Weather Service Tampa Bay said. Expect temperatures to climb into the upper 70s to middle 80s across the state through Friday, with coastal areas keeping slightly cooler compared to inland areas with the sea breeze developing. Low temperatures will reach the 50s and 60s overnight, with Southeast Florida and the Keys falling into the lower 70s, the Florida Department of Emergency Management said. Rain chances increase Saturday across the Panhandle and eventually the Big Bend. The Weather Prediction Center is predicting a marginal risk (level 1 of 4) for flash flooding along the far western Panhandle counties on Saturday for potentially locally heavy rainfall, but there remains low confidence about the overall set up and system's development. There could also be a chance for an increase in spotty or isolated showers during the late afternoon and into the evening hours throughout the Florida peninsula, confidence remains low due to ongoing dry conditions from the nearby high pressure (15-20% chance of rain). High temperatures will reach the middle to upper 70s along the coastlines and lower to middle 80s across inland areas. Low temperatures will only fall into the 60s and lower 70s overnight in the wake of a warm front pushing northward, the Florida Department of Emergency Management said. 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 look for our special subscription offers here. Contributing: Tayeba Hussein, Naples Daily News This article originally appeared on Fort Myers News-Press: Florida brush fires, drought prompt red flag warnings
Yahoo
28-03-2025
- Climate
- Yahoo
61 wildfires burning in Florida, Red Flag Warnings out. Map shows where fires are
Drought conditions continue to impact Florida and no respite is expected Friday, March 28. For the second day in a row, wildfires threatened homes, prompting residents to be evacuated. Thursday afternoon, the Gator Fire in Palm City burned 210 acres. As of Friday morning, it was 50% contained, according to the Florida Forest Service. ➤ Weather alerts via text: Sign up to get updates about current storms and weather events by location On the opposite side of the state, residents in a Collier County neighborhood were evacuated as flames came close to their homes Wednesday. As of Friday morning, there were 61 fires in Florida, burning 28,837 acres. Most of Florida's peninsula is abnormally dry, with two large sections of the state under severe drought conditions, according to the Florida Department of Emergency Management. The National Weather Service has issued red flag warnings for 14 counties: Charlotte Citrus DeSoto Hardee Hernando Hillsborough Lake Lee Manatee Pasco Pinellas Polk Sarasota Sumter ➤ Wildfires threaten more Florida homes as drought worsens. Will it rain soon? A red flag warning is issued when "critical fire weather conditions" are in place. "A red flag warning means warm temperatures, very low humidity, and stronger winds are expected to combine to produce an increased risk of fire danger," the National Weather Service said. Pensacola, western Panhandle: Friday, March 28, will be dry, according to the National Weather Service Mobile. Tallahassee, central Panhandle: Dry weather will continue through Friday, according to the National Weather Service Tallahassee. Northeast Florida: Friday will be partly sunny and breezy. Winds could gust as high as 26 mph, according to the National Weather Service Jacksonville. East-central Florida: It'll be warm and partly sunny Friday with gusty conditions, according to the National Weather Service Melbourne. South Florida: Friday will be dry with breezy winds that could gust up to 30 mph, according to the National Weather Service Miami. Southwest Florida: Expect very warm and dry conditions Friday, March 28, the National Weather Service Tampa Bay said. 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 look for our special subscription offers here. This article originally appeared on Fort Myers News-Press: Florida fires grow. Track with interactive map the shows locations
