Rainfall on Sunday reduced the wildfire danger on the Treasure Coast, but moisture in the soil remains modest at best, a meteorologist at the National Weather Service told TCPalm Monday.
“Conditions have been dry for an extended period of time,” said NWS meteorologist Brendan Schaper.
Fuels such as grasses are still primed for lightning strikes, he said. But the reduced risk is expected to last through midweek as moisture levels are expected to stay elevated, Schaper said.
Dryer conditions are expected after Tuesday, he said. “Dry” is the forecast for Wednesday through the weekend, he said.
Winds, which can drive wildfires, will also pick up Wednesday, Thursday and part of Friday, Schaper said.
Winds of 10-15 mph are expected those days with gusts up to 20-25 mph.
Brush fire in Palm City, Martin County
Firefighters evacuated residents of 32 homes in the Palm City area last week because of a brush fire that burned about 188 acres.
The fire started just after 12:30 p.m. Thursday along Southwest Gator Trail and spread to Southwest 84th Avenue thanks to an ember.
The fires were said to be 100% contained Friday. Everyone escaped injury and no homes were damaged. Lightning caused the initial fire, according to the Florida Forest Service.
More: Fire officials determine cause of Palm City brush fires that prompted evacuations
More: Brush fire Monday in north Indian River County follows 30-acre brush fire doused Saturday
Brush fire in Fellsmere, Indian River County
Two fires erupted recently in Indian River County.
A fire sparked March 24 on rural land south of Fellsmere and burned a Ford F-150 and half an acre. Exhaust from a truck moving through tall grass likely caused the blaze, fire officials said.
And 30 acres burned two days earlier in a wooded area north of 65th Street west of 58th Avenue. Firefighters evacuated several homes in the Enclave neighborhood.
Everyone escaped injury and no property was damaged, said Richard Marini, Indian River County Fire Rescue assistant fire chief. The cause of the fire is unclear.
Keith Burbank is TCPalm’s watchdog reporter covering Martin County. He can be reached at keith.burbank@tcpalm.com and at 720-288-6882. Contributing: Colleen Wixon and Corey Arwood.
This article originally appeared on Treasure Coast Newspapers: Rain douses Treasure Coast, but not enough to prevent wildfire alerts. Here’s why
Reporting by Keith Burbank, Treasure Coast Newspapers / Treasure Coast Newspapers
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