Fire Danger Lessening
July 5th, 2011 by flanewsThis morning there were 96 wildfires burning in Florida, That’s down from more than 430 active fires just two weeks ago, but as Mike Vasilinda tells us, the danger isn’t over.
Parts of Florida got about an inch of rain over the holiday weekend. And recent rains have dampened wildfire, but 96 fires were still burning on Tuesday morning, down from more than 400 two weeks ago when a North Florida fire claimed two firefighters’ lives. Because of the rain, the states drought index has been steadily declining.
“What you see on the map, you see Pensacola to Tallahassee and parts of North Florida into Jacksonville, they are still very dry on the drought index map,” said Jim Karels, Director of the Florida Forestry Service.
20 counties continue to enforce burn bans, and no campfires are being allowed in state parks.
But Florida is not out of the woods yet. Much of the state is suffering through a rain deficit of more than a foot. Firefighters say a tropical system is the only thing that will end the deficit and reduce the risk of more fire, and without significant rain, firefighters worry about a resurgence.
“It really only takes four or five days with these kinds of conditions and real hot, dry weather, and we are right back into some pretty severe fire conditions. We haven’t gotten out of it, we’ve gotten slightly better,” said Karels.
Wildfires have claimed more than 30 homes this year, as well as more than a hundred out buildings.
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