ORLANDO, Fla. \u2013 Despite the rain we\u2019ve seen over the last week in Central Florida, the entire state remains in a drought. It\u2019s officially the worst one we\u2019ve seen since 2001, according to Rick Dolan with the Florida Forest Service.<\/p>\n
The current conditions make for the perfect recipe for brush fires to form, and Dolan says we\u2019ve already seen a record number.<\/p>\n
\u201cA little over 1,600 fires now since January 1, and our annual is about 2,400 so we are two-thirds of the way there three months into the year,\u201d said Dolan.<\/p>\n
Back in February, a brush fire raged through a part of Osceola County. Our News 6 crews went back to the area to talk to people who experienced it.<\/p>\n
Anas and his son Adam live in Blackstone Landing near where the fire happened.<\/p>\n
\u201cI see the smoke and it started burning and it got darker and darker,\u201d said Anas Balafrej.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe saw this huge fire out, we were shocked, we were looking at it staring,\u201d said his son Adam. \u201cIt\u2019s a drought. The worst in 25 years, I feel if a fire starts even a single spark – just no. It\u2019s not going to go well,\u201d said Adam.<\/p>\n
For more context on what we are experiencing, weather expert Meteorologist Julie Broughton explained. Check out the video at the top of the story to hear what she has to say.<\/p>\n
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