PANAMA CITY— A wildfire broke out near Northwest Florida Beaches International Airport as elevated fire conditions persist throughout Bay County and much of the region.
The most recent update from the Florida Forest Service on the fire comes from April 8 at 4:18 p.m. The fire stood at 55 acres and was 75% contained. The blaze started near State Road 388.
A red flag warning, cautioning that any fires started would spread rapidly, was issued for Bay County on April 7. Windy conditions and low humidity have aggravated the effects of an ongoing drought.
Bay and Washington counties are largely in extreme drought conditions, the second most severe drought category measured by the U.S. Drought Monitor. Exceptional drought, the worst category, consumes a sliver of Bay County and encompasses much of the counties to the East.
Fire potential in Bay County was ranked as high by the Florida Forest Service on April 9. Bay County is under a burn ban alongside Washington, Calhoun, Gulf, Franklin, Liberty, and Leon counties in the panhandle.
Officials from the forest service announced in a press release that they’re expecting an “extremely active” peak wildfire season across the state of Florida.
“Florida is experiencing widespread drought conditions like we have not seen in years, and forecasts show the next few months could be extremely active for wildfires,” said Commissioner of Agriculture Wilton Simpson in the release.
“We need all Floridians to do their part now by following local burn restrictions, staying alert to weather conditions when burning, and preparing their homes and yards to be wildfire ready,” said Simpson. “Remember, every fire prevented is one less fire we must respond to, and that will help ensure the safety of our firefighters and our communities.”
The release says that 1,500 wildfires have burned over 54,000 acres in Florida since the start of the year.
The area is under a water shortage warning order issued by the Northwest Florida Water Management District, asking for voluntary reductions in water usage. This followed a state of emergency signed by Gov. Ron DeSantis due to the drought.
Streamflows were measured at “much below normal” levels in the Econfina Creek and Choctawhatchee River by the U.S. Geological Survey. Every monitoring station along the Apalachicola River was measured at an “all time low for this day” on April 9.
The National Weather Service maintains a seven-day forecast for our area. There is currently no rain expected between April 9 and April 15.
“Drought conditions will only get worse, exacerbated by afternoon temperatures running 5-10 degrees above normal from Friday through at least the middle of next week,” writes a meteorologist in the area forecast discussion. “Fire concerns will remain elevated. Use extreme caution with any outdoor burning. Please heed burn bans where they are in effect.”
This article originally appeared on The News Herald: Wildfire breaks out in Bay County amid deteriorating conditions
Reporting by Dylan Gentile, Panama City News Herald / The News Herald
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
