2023 Florida wildfires
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| 2023 Florida wildfires | |
|---|---|
 A fire truck during the Major Fire, 2023 | |
| Season | |
2024 → |
The 2023 Florida wildfire season is an ongoing series of wildfires that have been burning throughout the U.S. state of Florida. As of December 3, there were a total of 2,656 wildfires, burning 101,188 acres (158.106 sq mi) across the state.[1]
Meteorological synopsis
A number of factors contributed to the wildfire season, including a La Niña event, which limited rainfall, dry brush, and effects stemming from Hurricane Ian that made landfall in Florida in 2022.[2] In January 2023, the National Interagency Fire Center issued a fire potential outlook which concerned areas across northern Florida and southeastern Georgia to be at above-normal levels for significant wildland fire potential.[2] During 2023, several major cities, including Jacksonville, Miami, Orlando, and Tampa, received below-normal precipitation, and 87 percent of the state were at abnormally dry condition levels.[3] Red flag warnings were issued across portions of the state in May, with several counties also issuing burn bans or prohibiting burning yard debris.[4]
List of wildfires
The following is a list of fires that burned more than 1,000 acres (400 ha), or produced significant structural damage or casualties.
| Name | County | Acres | Start date | Containment date | Notes | Ref |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cypress Camp Trail | Collier | 9,749 | April 4, 2023 | Mid-April 2023 | [5] | |
| Major | Marion and Lake | 4,952 | April 27 | 2023 | [6] | |
| Sandy | Collier | 19,814 | May 1 | May 16, 2023 | Started by a lightning strike at Big Cypress National Preserve. | [7][8] |
Notable fires
Sandy Fire
On May 1, a lightning strike started a wildfire in southeastern Big Cypress National Preserve, forcing closures and evacuations north of Interstate 75.[9] The wildfire then grew to 8,400 acres (13.1 sq mi) by May 7,[10] and 10,000 acres (16 sq mi) by the next day, as did the containment of the fire, which increased to 5%.[11] Evacuation plans were then implemented on May 11 in Ochopee as the wildfire grew to more than 11,000 acres (17 sq mi), also being 20% contained.[9][12] The next day, a portion of U.S. Route 41 was closed as the fire moved towards the highway,[13] and a travel advisory was also issued in portions of Collier and Dade counties as a result of poor visibility from smoke stemming from the wildfire.[14] The wildfire also grew to 15,130 acres (23.64 sq mi) and was 30% contained on May 12.[14] On May 14, the wildfire continued to spread, burning 19,814 acres (30.959 sq mi) in Big Cypress National Preserve, before being fully contained two days later.[8]
References
- ^ "Current Wildfire Information". Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services. Retrieved December 8, 2023.
- ^ a b Wulfeck, Andrew (December 3, 2022). "Florida expected to be hotbed for wildfires in early 2023". FOX Weather. Retrieved December 8, 2023.
- ^ Wulfeck, Andrew (March 4, 2023). "Wildfires grow in Florida amid intensifying drought". FOX Weather. Retrieved December 8, 2023.
- ^ McCloud, Cheryl (May 3, 2023). "Large portion of Florida under red flag warning. What's that mean?". Daytona Beach News-Journal Online. Retrieved December 8, 2023.
- ^ "Storm Events Database - Event Details". National Centers for Environmental Information. Retrieved December 9, 2023.
- ^ "Major Fire". InciWeb. Retrieved July 31, 2023.
- ^ "Sandy Fire". InciWeb. Retrieved July 31, 2023.
- ^ a b "Storm Events Database - Event Details". National Centers for Environmental Information. Retrieved December 8, 2023.
- ^ a b Bayles, Tom; Braun, Michael (May 11, 2023). "Sandy Fire over 11,000 acres; some residents urged to leave". WGCU. Retrieved December 8, 2023.
- ^ Braun, Michael (May 7, 2023). "Uncontrolled Sandy Fire grows to 8,400 acres despite weeklong containment efforts". WGCU. Retrieved December 8, 2023.
- ^ "Containment Increases on Sandy Wildfire". National Park Service. Retrieved December 8, 2023.
- ^ Vigo, Melvin (May 11, 2023). "Sandy Wildfire Evacuation Plan underway in Ochopee". WINK-TV. Retrieved December 8, 2023.
- ^ Alvarez, Michelle; Dolan, Paul (May 12, 2023). "Big Sandy Fire rages over 15,000 acres". WINK-TV. Retrieved December 8, 2023.
- ^ a b Braun, Michael (May 12, 2023). "Troopers close section of U.S. 41 as 15-plus acre Sandy Fire closes in". WLRN. Retrieved December 8, 2023.
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