WEATHER ALERT
US wildfires are getting bigger and more complex, prompting changes in firefighting workforce
Read full article: US wildfires are getting bigger and more complex, prompting changes in firefighting workforceForecasters are warning that the potential for wildfires will be above normal in some areas across the United States over the coming months as temperatures rise and rain becomes sparse.
Nassau County wildfire slows, holds at 1,600 acres, 50% containment; All roads reopen in area
Read full article: Nassau County wildfire slows, holds at 1,600 acres, 50% containment; All roads reopen in areaNassau County fire crews and law enforcement continued working to put out a massive wildfire in a rural area west of Bryceville on Friday.
Troopers monitor wildfire in Nassau County
Read full article: Troopers monitor wildfire in Nassau CountyOn Sunday afternoon, the Florida Highway Patrol reported the wildfire near U.S. 301 and Poder Place. Troopers were monitoring a wildfire Sunday in Nassau County, the Florida Highway Patrol said. The wildfire was reported near U.S. 301 and Poder Place. As of 4:15 p.m. according to the Highway Patrol, there was smoke in the area, but there were no visibility issues. Troopers also reminded drivers to reduce their speed as necessary and to utilize their low beam headlights to adapt to changing weather conditions.
Study: Wildfires produced up to half of pollution in US West
Read full article: Study: Wildfires produced up to half of pollution in US WestResearchers say smoke from wildfires accounted for up to half of all small particle air pollution in parts of the western U.S. in recent years (AP Photo/Eric Risberg, File)BILLINGS, Mont. – Wildfire smoke accounted for up to half of all health-damaging small particle air pollution in the western U.S. in recent years as warming temperatures fueled more destructive blazes, according to a study released Monday. Nationwide, wildfires were the source of up to 25% of small particle pollution in some years, the researchers said. But it’s difficult to separate how much of the increase in smoke pollution is driven by climate change versus the forest fuel buildup, she added. The new study matches up with previous research documenting the increasing proportion of pollution that comes from wildfire smoke, said Dan Jaffe, a wildfire pollution expert at the University of Washington.
Battle on to save Brazil's tropical wetlands from flames
Read full article: Battle on to save Brazil's tropical wetlands from flamesAn recently burned area at the Encontro das Aguas park at the Pantanal wetlands near Pocone, Mato Grosso state, Brazil, Saturday, Sept. 12, 2020. Wildfire has infiltrated the park as the number of fires at the world's biggest tropical wetlands has more than doubled in the first half of 2020, according to data released by a state institute. (AP Photo/Andre Penner)BRASILIA – A vast swath of a vital wetlands is burning in Brazil, sweeping across several national parks and obscuring the sun behind dense smoke. From January through August, the number of fires more than tripled, topping 10,000. On Friday, Brazil's navy used a helicopter to rescue a burned jaguar cub and take it to a veterinary hospital.
Crews battling 50-acre wildfire in Nassau County
Read full article: Crews battling 50-acre wildfire in Nassau CountyThe fire, named West Power Line Fire," started just west of Highway 301 and Big Oaks Road in Nassau County. The FFS said it has four tractor plow units working to contain the fire and its containment, as of 6:45 p.m. was at 80%. Crews have successfully placed a firebreak line around the fire, FFS said, and no structures are being threatened. In an update Saturday evening FFS said they were no longer worried about the fire due to the rain and the effective line. Crews are no longer actively working the scene, but if you are in the area, FFS asks to please exercise caution.
Forest Service: Large Florida brush fire is 60% contained
Read full article: Forest Service: Large Florida brush fire is 60% containedNAPLES, Fla. A large brush fire that has destroyed 12 homes continued to burn in southwest Florida on Tuesday morning, officials said. The 36th Avenue Southeast fire in Collier County was 60% contained on Tuesday, the Florida Forest Service said. The brush fire began in Golden Gate Estates on May 13 as separate brush fires, the Naples Daily News reported. Last week portions of the county were placed under evacuation orders as the fires spread. Agriculture Commissioners Nikki Fried said during a news conference on Monday in Collier County that residents should remain alert and have a bag of important documents read in case additional evacuation orders were issued.
Officials: Southwest Florida brush fires destroyed 12 homes
Read full article: Officials: Southwest Florida brush fires destroyed 12 homesNAPLES, Fla. A large brush fire in southwest Florida has destroyed 12 homes and damaged 33 others, officials said during a Monday news conference with the agriculture commissioner Nikki Fried. The 8,000-acre fire in Collier County is about 50% contained, officials said. The Florida Forest Service said Sunday that 146 firefighters were working to contain the fire, which started last week as four smaller brush fires that merged together. Fried reminded residents in Florida to remain vigilant since the state is at the height of fire season. If you think you are going to defend your house with a garden hose, you are gravely mistaken," she said.
7 homes, 23 other structures destroyed by Florida wildfire
Read full article: 7 homes, 23 other structures destroyed by Florida wildfireNAPLES, Fla. At least seven homes and 23 other structures have been destroyed by a massive wildfire that continues to burn in southwest Florida, officials said. Greater Naples Fire Rescue District Chief Kingman Schuldt said during a news conference Friday that workers were surveying the area east of Naples. Florida Forest Service incident commander John Kern said the 8,663-acre (3,506-hectare) wildfire was about 40% contained. Shortly after the fires were reported Wednesday, Florida Highway Patrol shut down a section of Alligator Alley because of smoke. Alligator Alley extends from near Naples on Floridas Gulf Coast, to Broward County in South Florida.
Wildfire preparation: What you can do now
Read full article: Wildfire preparation: What you can do nowJACKSONVILLE, Fla. – Wildfire season is here and in full effect with the West Mims wildfire consuming 225 square miles along the Florida-Georgia border and expected to rage on for months. Follow these tips to reduce your risk from wildfire. Each of us can play a role in making our communities safer from wildfire. Practice using both evacuation routes in case one is blocked by smoke or fire. Wildfire burned more than 5.5 million acres in the U.S. last year.