Jacksonville is experiencing the driest period on record since 1872, city officials warn as wildfires spread rapidly throughout Florida, prompting red flag warnings and burn bans across the state.
Duval and St. Johns counties joined nearly half of Florida’s 67 counties under a burn ban. The National Weather Service also issued a Red Flag Warning for Duval County. As of early April 22, 135 active fires have scorched nearly 21,000 acres statewide, with conditions continuing to worsen.
“There will be potential for localized ‘superfog’ and/or dense smoke near the vicinity of any ongoing wildfires. Patchy fog will develop over inland Northeast Florida Friday and Saturday mornings,” the National Weather Service said April 22 in a Fire Planning Forecast.
Here’s what to know.
North Florida wildfires merge into Railroad Fire. See smoke
North Florida wildfires leave Amtrak passengers stranded in Clay County
How contained are North Florida fires?
Here is how contained each individual fire is in the following North Florida counties, according to the Florida Forest Service:
What is Jacksonville’s air quality?
Jacksonville’s air quality is “unhealthy” as of 11 a.m. Wednesday, April 22, according to The Florida Times-Union Air Quality Index.
The Air Quality Index (AQI) identifies air quality as it relates to health effects you may experience within a few hours or days after breathing polluted air.
Current conditions, as of Wednesday, April 22, include:
See Florida air quality by city
Florida wildfire, smoke map
How long is Jacksonville under a burn ban?
The City of Jacksonville and Jacksonville Fire and Rescue Department issued a burn ban April 21 effective immediately “due to dangerous wildfire conditions across the region.”
All open burning within the Duval County limits is prohibited until further notice. Current weather conditions present an elevated risk to life and property.
St. Johns County officials enacted a countywide burn ban April 20 due to the extreme drought conditions. The order is set to remain in effect through April 27, though it may be extended if weather conditions and fire risk do not improve.
Contributing: Doris Alvarez Cea Jacksonville Florida Times-Union; Cheryl McCloud, USA TODAY Network – Florida
This article originally appeared on Florida Times-Union: Fires in North Florida continue to rage. How contained are they?
Reporting by Ashley Ferrer, USA TODAY NETWORK – Florida / Florida Times-Union
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
