Wildfires char Florida wetlands, pine forests
Date: 22-May-01
Country: USA
During the weekend, the 25,000-acre (10,120-hectare) blaze in the national park west of Miami sent clouds of smoke across the highway known as Alligator Alley, forcing closed sections of one the major routes linking the state's east and west coasts.
Since January, 2,702 fires have scorched 198,128 acres (80,170 hectares) and the worst may be yet to come.
"We're looking for the next three to four weeks to have increased fire activity," Florida Division of Forestry spokesman Jim Harrell said. "Two fronts are coming into Florida, with increased lightning activity. We're looking for things to pick up."
Parts of Florida are struggling with the worst dry spell in more than 100 years of record-keeping. As a result, fire has swept through pine forests and wetlands alike.
Some areas are so dry that muck is burning and heavily populated parts of the state are under severe water use restrictions, limiting lawn watering, car washing and agricultural irrigation.
Fifty-three of Florida's 67 counties have drought indexes above 500, which marks a significant threat of wildfires.
While fire crews had contained about 80 percent of the Big Cypress fire, another 6,000-acre (2,430-hectares) blaze in the Fakahatchee Strand in Collier County, in the southwest corner of the state, was only 15 percent contained, officials said.
In central Florida, a 1,300-acre (526-hectare) fire about three miles (4.8 km) from Disney World was about 70 percent contained. Started by lightning, the blaze sent smoke into Florida's leading tourist attraction last week.
A small fire in Lake County destroyed three cars but 12 homes threatened by the flames were saved.
