A wildfire has burned over 11,000 acres in Palm Beach County, according to the Florida Forest Service.
The Berger Wildfire, burning near the Rotenberger Wildlife Management Area, had grown to 11,400 acres and was 75% contained as of July 20 at 1:12 p.m., according to a map of active wildfires provided by the Florida Forest Service.
According to a social media post by the City of Weston, the fire was “contributing to the smoke and falling ash,” nearby, and had burned around 1,500 acres as of July 17 at 8:36 p.m.
Though the fire isn’t near any heavily populated areas, according to WPEC, smoke may still be visible from surrounding communities.
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Wildfire season lasting longer in Florida
Wildfire season in Florida will last further into the summer this year, extending “dangerous” conditions beyond the state’s typical dry period, according to the Florida Forest Service.
“While drought-like conditions have plagued the state since late 2025, Florida’s peak wildfire season usually encompasses April, May, and June,” reads a post by the Florida Forest Service. The agency wrote that, based on outlooks released by the National Interagency Fire Center, Florida is expected to “see more above-average wildfire potential in July and even August.”
Since the beginning of the year, 40,560 fires have burned over 3.8 million acres nationwide, according to the National Interagency Fire Center. In Florida alone, more than 2,600 wildfires have started since January, cumulatively burning over 155,000 acres. The drought in the state, one of the worst in years, has acted as a contributing factor.
Sarah Perkel is a South Florida Connect Reporter for the USA TODAY Network’s Florida Connect team. You can get all of Florida’s best content directly in your inbox each weekday day by signing up for the free newsletter, Florida TODAY.
This article originally appeared on Palm Beach Post: Update: Florida wildfire burns over 11,000 acres, fire season in overtime
Reporting by Sarah Perkel, USA TODAY NETWORK / Palm Beach Post
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
By Sarah Perkel, USA TODAY NETWORK | USA TODAY Network
