2023 Wildfire Season

The horrific wildfire that raged in Hawaii last week has put the idea of preventing wildfires in the national spotlight. We go to Flatwoods Park, a recreation area and wellfield near New Tampa, to show how fire is being fought — with fire.

It’s wildfire season in Florida and one of the biggest threats of climate change is the increased risk of fires across the Southeastern United States. Yet fire, when controlled, can actually help fight the very threat it poses.

With more than half of the nearly 20,000-acre Sandy Fire now contained officials on Monday rescinded the evacuation plan put in place days ago. All residents within the impacted area have been updated on the change in evacuation status.

As of Sunday night, the Sandy Fire was reported at 19,814 acres and 45% contained. Ground and aviation resources will continue operations Monday, continuing to hold and improve control lines around the fire.

The Florida Highway Patrol on Saturday, for the second time in two days, shut down traffic on a nearly 60-mile section of Tamiami Trail due to the fire.

The 10-day-old Sandy Wildfire in the western Everglades is raging on despite best efforts of more than 100 state, federal firefighters

A wildfire in the Big Cypress National Preserve north of U.S. 41 is now 5% contained. It has been burning for more than a week and grown to nearly 10,000 acres.

The Sandy Fire broke out Monday at 50 acres in the far eastern part of Collier County. By Sunday morning the fire had spread to 8,398 acres and containment remained at 0%.

Most forecasters have decided the disturbance developing in the Gulf of Mexico does not have the time, or the mojo, to undergo the rapid and daunting transformation into an early tropical system and ease the drought.

Resources from the National Park Service, Bureau of Land Management, Fish and Wildlife Service, United States Forest Service, Bureau of Indian Affairs, and Florida Forest Service continue to provide assistance in the suppression efforts on the Cypress Camp Trail Fire.

Fire crews were called to a section on the interstate when a wildfire produced flames and smoke near the Bonita Beach Road exit.

The National Interagency Fire Center reported the Big Cypress National Preserve reported Thursday that the fire had grown by more than 50 percent.