ORLANDO, Fla. – Nearly 1,000 brush fires have ignited across Florida since the start of the year as drought conditions intensify and firefighters brace for what officials warn could be a severe wildfire season.
The Florida Forest Service reports 993 brush fires since Jan. 1.Â
Local perspective:
Officials say prolonged dry weather, recent freezes that killed vegetation and low humidity combined with gusty winds have heightened the risk of fast-moving fires.
Cliff Frazier of the Florida Forest Service said the conditions resemble those of the devastating 1998 wildfire season, when three people died and roughly half a million acres burned statewide.Â
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“This is not our first rodeo. We’ve seen this before,” Frazier said, warning that dry, dead vegetation serves as fuel.
In response to past disasters, Florida expanded its prescribed burning program and now leads the nation in controlled burns. A recent prescribed fire in Orange County cleared about 20 acres at Kelly Park in an effort to reduce fuel loads.
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Even so, new fires continue to spark. In Seminole County, a small brush fire broke out after a backyard fire pit got out of control, officials said. Assistant Fire Chief Todd Zellers said there is no burn ban in place locally, but the entire state is under a moderate fire danger risk.
What you can do:
Authorities urged residents to use caution, noting that with homes built close together and winds picking up, conditions can quickly turn dangerous.
The Source: This story was written based on information shared by the Florida Forest Service and Seminole County Fire Rescue.Â