Dry, hot weather could fuel intense wildfires to pop up
Treasure Coast, Fl. (treasurecoast.com)- The dry, hot weather forecast to continue for the next week, and little to no rain, could fuel “intense” wildfires to pop up across the Treasure Coast, forest rangers said.
“If we don’t receive a good amount of rainfall, that we need, you’re going to start seeing these dry issues arise, which in turn makes these wildfires more intense and likely to occur,” said Miguel Nevarez, spokesman for the Florida Forest Service’s Okeechobee District.
With the current dry conditions, it takes less to start a fire, he said.
So far this year, more than 80 wildfires have burned nearly 900 acres across the Okeechobee District, comprised of the Treasure Coast’s three counties and Glades, Highlands and Okeechobee counties.
From January to March 25, 82 wildfires consumed 860 acres — more than double the 370 acres burned in 61 wildfires in the same time period last year, Nevarez said.
This month, weekly wildfires have closed highways and endangered homes across the Treasure Coast.
In Martin County, fire officials reported a 50-acre wildfire March 23 and a 40-acre wildfire that briefly closed Florida’s Turnpike March 19, while another fire took two days to contain and threatened dozens of home while burning 250 acres March 17 and 18.
A 52-acre wildfire burned near rural homes west of Fellsmere March 24 in northern Indian River County.
Fire officials said that Fellsmere fire was caused by embers that traveled from an authorized, permitted burn pile near someone’s home.
Meteorologists with the National Weather Service in Melbourne said there’s no rain in the forecast for at least another week.
Dry, hot weather could fuel intense wildfires to pop up
Rain levels recorded in Vero Beach and Fort Pierce so far this month were inches below 30-year averages.
Only .013 of an inch of rain was recorded in Vero Beach compared to a historic March average of 3.18 inches.
In Fort Pierce, just over a half inch of rain was recorded during what is typically a 3-inch monthly historical average.
Vero Beach and Fort Pierce are where the agency records weather data for the Treasure Coast.
