Florida Forest Service says it has seen twice as many wildfires compared to last year so far
By Lily Belcher
April 10, 2025 at 3:44 PM EDT
Florida Forest Service officials want residents to take extra caution during this year’s dry season.
Wildfires, while a year-round threat in Florida, are more common during the dry months from March through May.
Florida Forest Service officials say the danger is currently at a “moderate” level in most central and south Florida counties.
Director Rick Dolan said, so far this year, they’ve responded to twice as many wildfires as the same time in 2024 – and they’re expecting more.
Florida Commissioner of Agriculture Wilton Simpson said the agency expects to fight 1,500 to 2,000 more fires by the end of May.
A map of Florida with many central counties highlighted in yellow, which means there is a moderate fire danger threat at 3 p.m. Thursday, April 10. (830x713, AR: 1.1640953716690041)
Speaking Thursday at a news conference at a Florida Forest Service forestry station in Dover, Simpson urged residents to be fire-ready.
Residents should set up a fire safety plan, including evacuation routes and a set meeting place for the entire family.
People should move combustible items indoors and seal vents and windows before they leave their house.
Officials also suggest having a garden hose ready, putting sprinklers on the roof and tuning radios to local stations for evacuation and fire updates.
“Around your house, build a defensible space. Clear out your gutters, clean your roof off, make sure you don’t have that fuel around your home,” Simpson said.
A fire safety kit should include a three-day supply of water, non-perishable food, a flashlight and batteries.
Simpson pointed out that Florida is the “prescribed fire capital” of the country, using controlled burns to quell the fire threat.
While he is proud of the program, he said the dry spring is exacerbating the threat of wildfires.
He said that while lightning is a leading cause, accidental fires and arson remain big concerns.
Aside from not carelessly disposing of cigarettes, Simpson told people to take extra caution with backyard burns, grills and bonfires.
Florida Forest Service is employing drones to reduce the risk to human lives when fighting wildfires. (2420x1816, AR: 1.3325991189427313)
Florida Forest Service has also employed new drones to reduce the risk to human lives when fighting fires and starting controlled burns, Simpson said.
"We got a lot better equipment now,” he said. “We're very appreciative of those things. But we do need the public to stay vigilant."
Florida Forest Service officials say the danger is currently at a “moderate” level in most central and south Florida counties.
Director Rick Dolan said, so far this year, they’ve responded to twice as many wildfires as the same time in 2024 – and they’re expecting more.
Florida Commissioner of Agriculture Wilton Simpson said the agency expects to fight 1,500 to 2,000 more fires by the end of May.
A map of Florida with many central counties highlighted in yellow, which means there is a moderate fire danger threat at 3 p.m. Thursday, April 10. (830x713, AR: 1.1640953716690041)
Speaking Thursday at a news conference at a Florida Forest Service forestry station in Dover, Simpson urged residents to be fire-ready.
Residents should set up a fire safety plan, including evacuation routes and a set meeting place for the entire family.
People should move combustible items indoors and seal vents and windows before they leave their house.
Officials also suggest having a garden hose ready, putting sprinklers on the roof and tuning radios to local stations for evacuation and fire updates.
“Around your house, build a defensible space. Clear out your gutters, clean your roof off, make sure you don’t have that fuel around your home,” Simpson said.
A fire safety kit should include a three-day supply of water, non-perishable food, a flashlight and batteries.
Simpson pointed out that Florida is the “prescribed fire capital” of the country, using controlled burns to quell the fire threat.
While he is proud of the program, he said the dry spring is exacerbating the threat of wildfires.
He said that while lightning is a leading cause, accidental fires and arson remain big concerns.
Aside from not carelessly disposing of cigarettes, Simpson told people to take extra caution with backyard burns, grills and bonfires.
Florida Forest Service is employing drones to reduce the risk to human lives when fighting wildfires. (2420x1816, AR: 1.3325991189427313)
Florida Forest Service has also employed new drones to reduce the risk to human lives when fighting fires and starting controlled burns, Simpson said.
"We got a lot better equipment now,” he said. “We're very appreciative of those things. But we do need the public to stay vigilant."