MORE THAN 20 HAVE BEEN RELEASED FROM REHAB FACILITIES. >> WELL, AS WE TURN OUR ATTENTION OVER TO THE WEATHER, OBVIOUSLY THE GIGANTIC FIRE THAT’S BEEN ONGOING IN COLLIER COUNTY CONTINUES TO BE THE BIG STORY WE’VE WE’VE SAID THE WORD ACRES A LOT, BUT ACRES IS KIND OF A TOUGH ONE TO FIRST PUT INTO PERSPECTIVE IN YOUR HEAD IF YOU’RE NOT FAMILIAR WITH IT. SO WHAT I WANTED TO DO IS OFFER YOU A LITTLE MORE PERSPECTIVE AND PERHAPS MAKE THIS FIGURE A LITTLE MORE DIGESTIBLE. SO IF WE COULD JUMP OVER TO CAMERA 13. ALL RIGHT. SO THIS CARD HERE IS ONE SQUARE FOOT ONE FOOT. ONE FOOT. ONE FOOT. ONE FOOT AND ONE SQUARE FOOT. WE NEED 43,560 OF THESE SQUARES TO PHILIP THE SIZE OF ONE FULL ACRE. SO PERHAPS THE BEST WAY TO PICTURE WHAT AN ACRE LOOKS LIKE IN YOUR HEAD IS TO THINK OF A FOOTBALL. THAT’S BECAUSE ONE FOOTBALL FIELD WORKS OUT TO 1.0, 3, 2, ACRES. SO LET’S DO SOME COMPARISON HERE. THE EPCOT THEME PARK UP IN ORLANDO. THAT IS 305 ACRES. LARGE. THE CITY OF CAPE CORAL IS 76,800 ACRES LARGE. SO THE FIRE THAT CONTINUES TO BURN IN COLLIER RIGHT NOW IS SIGNIFICANTLY LARGER THAN THE EPCOT THEME PARK UP AT DISNEY WORLD. BUT IT’S ALSO SIGNIFICANTLY SMALLER THAN THE CITY OF CAPE CORAL. ONE MORE PIECE OF PERSPECTIVE FOR YOU. THE FIRE IS BURNING IN A RELATIVE LISA MALL, A SLIVER OF BIG CYPRESS. AND I SAY THAT BECAUSE BIG CYPRESS NATIONAL PRESERVE
Putting the size of Collier County’s National Fire into perspective
Updated: 10:00 PM EST Feb 26, 2026
When a wildfire like the one burning in Big Cypress National Preserve this week is on the move, firefighters use acres as a way to measure how much land has burned.To put this form of measurement into perspective, let’s use a figure you may be more familiar with: square feet. Square feet is what you see advertised on apartment rental websites and home listings. One square foot is the space a square takes up that has four sides, all one foot long. One acre of land is equal to 43,560 square feet. The best way to visualize what one acre looks like is to think of a football field. That’s because a football field is 1.32 acres.Given this point of view, here’s some figures to help put wildfire size into perspective. The EPCOT theme park at Walt Disney World in Orlando is 305 acres. The city of Cape Coral is roughly 76,800 acres. This means the wildfire dubbed the National Fire that continues to burn in Collier County is significantly larger than EPCOT, but well smaller than the city of Cape Coral. Shortly after 8 p.m. on Thursday, Feb. 26, Big Cypress National Preserve posted on Facebook that as of 7 p.m., the fire had burned 25,780 acres and was considered to be 0% contained. A wildfire having burned up more than 25,000 acres is big.But it makes up a small portion of the expansive Big Cypress National Preserve. According to the National Park Service, the preserve is a sweeping 729,000-acre piece of protected land, slightly larger than the land area of the state of Rhode Island. Follow, like and subscribe to Gulf Coast News on social media to share your tips and be part of the conversation with Southwest Florida’s most experienced, trusted weather team.However you watch or scroll, we’re committed to delivering accurate, timely forecasts you can rely on, wherever you are.Follow on social media: Facebook | Instagram | YouTube | TikTok | Threads | Bluesky | Nextdoor | XLive Interactive RadarTrack conditions in real time with the Gulf Coast Live Radar.Watch Gulf Coast WeatherFind the latest weather forecast videos, streaming live or on demand, on TV and online.Stream on the GoDownload the free Gulf Coast News app to watch on your phone or tablet.Your Gulf Coast Storm TeamChief Meteorologist Allyson RaeMeteorologist Caroline CastoraMeteorologist Jim DickeyMeteorologist Jason DunningMeteorologist Lauren HopeMeteorologist Raphael TavernierMeteorologist Rob DunsMeteorologist Sara Blue DOWNLOAD the free Gulf Coast News app for your latest breaking news and weather alerts. And check out the Very Local Gulf Coast app to stream news, entertainment and original programming on your TV.
COLLIER COUNTY, Fla. —
When a wildfire like the one burning in Big Cypress National Preserve this week is on the move, firefighters use acres as a way to measure how much land has burned.
To put this form of measurement into perspective, let’s use a figure you may be more familiar with: square feet. Square feet is what you see advertised on apartment rental websites and home listings. One square foot is the space a square takes up that has four sides, all one foot long.
One acre of land is equal to 43,560 square feet. The best way to visualize what one acre looks like is to think of a football field. That’s because a football field is 1.32 acres.
Given this point of view, here’s some figures to help put wildfire size into perspective. The EPCOT theme park at Walt Disney World in Orlando is 305 acres. The city of Cape Coral is roughly 76,800 acres. This means the wildfire dubbed the National Fire that continues to burn in Collier County is significantly larger than EPCOT, but well smaller than the city of Cape Coral.
Shortly after 8 p.m. on Thursday, Feb. 26, Big Cypress National Preserve posted on Facebook that as of 7 p.m., the fire had burned 25,780 acres and was considered to be 0% contained. A wildfire having burned up more than 25,000 acres is big.
But it makes up a small portion of the expansive Big Cypress National Preserve. According to the National Park Service, the preserve is a sweeping 729,000-acre piece of protected land, slightly larger than the land area of the state of Rhode Island.
Follow, like and subscribe to Gulf Coast News on social media to share your tips and be part of the conversation with Southwest Florida’s most experienced, trusted weather team.
However you watch or scroll, we’re committed to delivering accurate, timely forecasts you can rely on, wherever you are.
Follow on social media: Facebook | Instagram | YouTube | TikTok | Threads | Bluesky | Nextdoor | X
Live Interactive Radar
Watch Gulf Coast Weather
Stream on the Go
Your Gulf Coast Storm Team
DOWNLOAD the free Gulf Coast News app for your latest breaking news and weather alerts. And check out the Very Local Gulf Coast app to stream news, entertainment and original programming on your TV.