There is a good chance that you have smelled smoke from a wildfire recently. That is because this “Fire Season” in Florida has been active.

So far this year--as of April 13--around 70,000 acres have burned in our state. On April 13th there were 97 active fires in Florida. 

On any given day, the risk of a wildfire increases when the humidity is low and the winds are high. Those days also make it very difficult to fight existing fires.

The main factor though, in causing wildfires, is lack of rain.  October into mid-June is very dry in Florida. It is our “Dry Season.” 

It is also normal for Florida to see wildfires, especially the last couple months of the dry season.  Last year, Florida saw enough rain in the dry season to mitigate wildfires. This year is drier, but not the worst either.  

The worst fire season in Florida’s recent history was in 1998.  A half-million acres burned. Three hundred and thirty seven homes and structures were damaged or destroyed. There were widespread evacuations.

This year’s rainfall in Tampa has been below normal, as of April 14th, 4.5 inches below. 

For Sarasota-Bradenton, rain for 2017 is 6.95 inches below normal.  Also, rain totals have been below normal every month since September of 2016 for Tampa.

So far this dry season:

  • Tampa ranks as the 4th driest so far…6.53” -since October 1st 2016
  • Inverness ranks as the 9th driest so far…10.76” (Records kept only since 1948)
  • Tarpon Springs ranks as the driest so far…5.44”
  • St. Petersburg ranks as the 2nd driest so far…5.70”
  • Lakeland ranks as the 19th driest so far…11.20”
  • Winter Haven ranks as the 2nd driest so far…6.98” (Records kept only since 1941)
  • Sarasota-Bradenton ranks as the 3rd driest so far…6.88”

Even in years where the rainfall is less than normal, if we get periodic rains through the dry season, the wildfires will be limited. For example, 1998 was one of Florida’s worst fire seasons, but does not rank in the top 10 driest.  This year’s rain events have been few and far between.