Wildfire threat grows as Florida drought gets steadily worse

By CURT ANDERSON
Associated Press

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. (AP) — State and federal officials say the threat of wildfires is growing in Florida over the coming weeks as more than half the state is experiencing severe to extreme drought conditions likely to persist until rainy season resumes around mid-May. The National Weather Service’s Climate Prediction Center reported Thursday that 55% of Florida is in the severe to extreme drought category, with most of the rest of the state listed as “abnormally dry.” The driest conditions are in southwest Florida, the same region hammered by Hurricane Ian in September. Since Jan. 1, more than 1,000 wildfires in Florida have burned over 33,000 acres (13,300 hectares), according to state statistics.