More than 100 significant wildfires are burning across the state, reducing air quality readings, limiting visibility and, in some cases, causing evacuations.
Many of the more impactful fires are located across North and North-Central Florida, where dry vegetation, occasionally gusty winds and a significant lack of rainfall have combined to create dangerous fire conditions.
“This is not just an isolated area,” said Wilton Simpson, Florida's commissioner of agriculture. “We’ve got fires all over the state today.”
Emergency officials warn that the situation could worsen in the coming weeks, with little to no rainfall expected in long-range forecasts.
Preparing for the possibility of an extended fire season, state officials are planning to pre-position resources around Tallahassee, Cross City, Jacksonville and Lake City to ensure a faster response to blazes.
Simpson said the preparedness efforts mirror those used for hurricanes, with assets being pre-positioned ahead of worsening conditions.
Largest wildfires across the state
The largest wildfire is burning along the Clay–Putnam County line, south of Jacksonville, and is known as the “Railroad Fire.”
The fire is believed to have started Sunday as a train passed through the area, sending sparks into dry vegetation.
The blaze has burned more than 4,000 acres and was last reported to be about 50% contained.
Due to its proximity to homes, evacuation orders have been issued and a shelter has been opened for residents impacted by the flames.
According to the Clay County Sheriff’s Office, a recurring issue has been people driving around fires to watch the activity and to take videos.
The agency said that behavior hinders efforts of first responders and puts additional people in danger.
Other large wildfires are burning in Baker, Dixie, Broward and Collier counties.
Combined, the state’s more than 100 active wildfires have burned over 15,000 acres, but no homes have been reported lost, and there have been no fatalities.
Threat for additional wildfires remains
Officials warn that with the state's dry conditions, the smallest of sparks can start a large wildfire, which is why abiding by burn bans is critical.
Homeowners are also encouraged to create a defensible space around their properties by clearing debris, cleaning gutters and removing flammable materials.
According to firefighters, properties should have at least 100 feet of cleared space around them.
Firewood and propane tanks should also be kept at least 50 feet away from any structures.
State fire officials stress that while crews work aggressively to contain fires, limited resources mean they may not be able to protect every structure.
“The most important thing we’re going to do is save lives,” Simpson said. “The second most important thing is to save property.”
Wildfires impact air quality
Air quality readings have been impacted in neighborhoods around and downwind of the wildfires.
The Air Quality Index, commonly known as the AQI, has a range of 0 to 500, with lower values equating to cleaner air and higher values indicating unhealthy conditions.
These numbers correspond to six color-coded categories, which range from green in areas with the least concern to maroon, where conditions are considered hazardous.
During the most recent fires, most observation sites in proximity to a fire have remained in the yellow, or moderate, category for pollution.
According to the Environmental Protection Agency, moderate levels for airborne particles are generally acceptable, except for those who are sensitive to air pollution.
When levels start to deteriorate into the orange, red and purple categories, alerts are usually issued warning the public of the health impacts of being outside.
In larger wildfires, it is common to see areas fall under hazardous air quality levels for several days.
