Wildfires blazed in Marion and Volusia Counties on Sunday, temporarily closing down multiple roads in both directions on the busy Daytona 500 weekend.
As of 7:45 p.m. on Sunday, State Road 19 was still closed in both directions between State Road 40 and County Road 314 south of Salt Springs in Northeast Marion County, according to the Florida Department of Transportation.
At 6:12 p.m. on Sunday, FDOT confirmed all lanes of Interstate 95 had reopened. Brush fires had caused the highway to close for several hours between Interstate 4/State Road 400 in Daytona Beach and State Road 421 in Port Orange, known locally as Dunlawton Ave.
The wildfire closing down SR-19 began Saturday afternoon, along the shoreline of Lake George and within the Ocala National Forest, according to a press release from FDOT.
Four small brush fires totaling 10 acres were responsible for shutting down parts of I-95 Sunday. Those fires also burned 20 vehicles at Crazy Horse Campground near the Daytona Flea & Farmers Market, according to Volusia County. The county said no evacuations were necessary as a result of the fires.
Statewide, 100% of Florida has recently experienced drought conditions, with data for the last week showing 43% of the state is under an extreme drought. In some parts of the state, including parts of Central Florida, declared water shortages are in effect.
RELATED: Florida's burn bans are in effect, drought update
Many ecosystems in Florida are naturally fire-dependent, meaning the landscape needs to burn regularly to thrive. Land managers in Florida conduct prescribed, or controlled, burns regularly, to help keep landscapes healthy and reduce unplanned wildfire risk.
Wildfire risk is rising in the eastern United States, where more people live in forested environments compared to out west. Researchers are studying ways to proactively address the rising risk.
The Florida Forest Service has an interactive burn map showing where different prescribed burns are happening in real time. It also keeps a map of active, county-enacted burn bans.
FDOT has some suggestions for drivers encountering smoke and other wildfire-related hazards:
- Visit FL511.com for the latest information on road closures and traffic conditions.
- Drivers who encounter unsafe driving conditions due to smoke should report this to the Florida Highway Patrol immediately by calling *FHP (*347).
- Wildfire smoke can lower visibility on the roads and visibility may deteriorate quickly, especially during the nighttime and early morning hours. Motorists should drive as safely as possible, stay alert, and follow all posted detours.
- Take your time: slow down and keep an eye out for slow-moving or parked vehicles. Also, FDOT suggests opening your window a little, to listen for traffic you cannot see. Reduce distractions by turning off any audio playing in your car, and avoid using your cell phone.
- Drive with your car’s lights on low beam. (A more general tip is to keep your windshield and headlights clean, to reduce glare and increase visibility.)
- Use the right edge of the road or painted road markings as a guide. Be patient – avoid passing and/or changing lanes. Signal your turns well in advance, and brake early when approaching a stop.
- If you must pull off the road: signal, then carefully pull off as far as possible and turn your hazard lights on.
