LYNN HAVEN— The brush fires in Lynn Haven are still ongoing as of April 24.
Two brush fires broke out in the Lynn Haven neighborhood of College Point on April 21. On the morning of April 24, the Florida Forest Service’s public viewer showed the Britton Hill fire at four acres and 90% contained.
The Harvard Boulevard fire stood at 1.5 acres and was 85% contained.
“Crews have been working to mop up the fires all day,” a FFS spokesperson told the News Herald on April 23.
The only structural damage caused by the fires has been to one outbuilding, according to the FFS spokesperson.
All of Bay County is afflicted by extreme drought conditions, the second-worst category measured by the U.S. Drought Monitor. Much of the Big Bend and North Florida is experiencing exceptional drought conditions, the worst category tracked by the drought monitor.
The April 23 drought monitor update showed conditions worsening across the state over the past week.
“(Exceptional drought) areas expanded in all directions, primarily further into Georgia and the Florida Panhandle,” reads the National Weather Service Tallahassee forecast area discussion. “Pop-up afternoon showers each day this week could provide some small drought relief, but little if any improvement is expected through next Thursday given current forecast rain totals.”
The best chance of rain for our area comes on April 25, when there is a 50% chance of showers and thunderstorms.
Forecasters project Panama City could see 0.31 inches of precipitation through April 30, far below the amount needed to quash the rainfall deficit. Bay County has seen between 12 and 16 fewer inches of rainfall than normal since October 2025.
The area has a Keetch-Byram drought index of 593, meaning the topsoil is dry enough that it could act as a fuel for any potential fire, allowing it to spread quickly. Bay County is under a burn ban along with most of its neighbors in the Florida panhandle.
“Florida is currently seeing a high number of active wildfires. There are currently 127 active wildfires burning across approximately 21,996.35 acres,” wrote state Sen. Jay Trumbull in a Facebook post. “Please use caution. Avoid outdoor burning, follow all local burn bans, and report any signs of fire right away. Stay alert and look out for your neighbors.”
“It is safe to say that this is the most impactful and substantial drought within the Tallahassee area since 2012,” reads a report from NWS Tallahassee. “In the Tallahassee forecast area this is the highest percent coverage of (extreme drought conditions) since the 2000 drought.”
The Climate Prediction Center says above-normal temperatures and normal precipitation patterns are likely for our area over the next month. Drought conditions are expected to persist over the next month, but improve over the course of the season.
This article originally appeared on The News Herald: Lynn Haven brush fires continue as extreme drought grips Florida
Reporting by Dylan Gentile, Panama City News Herald / The News Herald
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
