Video shows intense flames around Florida homes as dozens of wildfires burn across state
While no homes have been lost, authorities remain concerned as the fire season has just begun. Florida's dry conditions can be worsened by shifts in global weather patterns, which delay the start of the rainy season and can exacerbate wildfire risks, as seen in the devastating fires of 1998.
Naples-area wildfire gets close to homes
Some residents in Southwest Florida found themselves face-to-face with a wildfire on Wednesday.
TALLAHASSEE, Fla. – An intensifying drought across the Sunshine State has led to an uptick in wildfires, with authorities reporting more than 60 active blazes Thursday and no end in sight.
According to the Florida Forest Service, the fires have scorched more than 45,000 acres, with the largest fires burning outside of Orlando and Miami as well as in Southwest Florida.
Spring is usually the driest season for Florida. With a lack of rainfall during the winter, the situation has worsened in recent weeks. The combination of below-average rainfall, gusty winds and dry conditions has created the perfect environment for wildfires to spread rapidly across the Florida Peninsula.
The most significant fire is burning between Miami and the Florida Keys along U.S. Highway 1, the main thoroughfare connecting the islands to the mainland. The brush fire dubbed the 344 Fire, has burned more than 26,000 acres and has caused occasional air quality issues for the Upper Keys and Miami-Dade County.
LACK OF WINTER RAINFALL PUTS FLORIDA IN A PRECARIOUS FIRE SITUATION
Active wildfires across Florida on 3/27/2025. (FOX Weather)
On Wednesday, a 10-acre fire in Naples forced evacuations as flames approached homes. An aggressive response by both ground and air crews prevented significant damage from occurring.
Out of the dozens of blazes impacting the state, authorities have not reported any loss of homes, but with the fire season just beginning, the threat remains high for additional wildfires.
Spring is Florida's fire season
Florida typically experiences its most active fire weather during the spring as the state enters a period of reduced rainfall chances.
These dry conditions can be exacerbated by shifts in global weather patterns, including the status of the El Niño-Southern Oscillation, which can delay the start of the annual rainy season.
According to forecasters, Florida’s rainy season typically begins in May in South Florida and then spreads northward during the first day of meteorological summer.
The majority of the state’s rainfall occurs during this season, which lasts through mid-September, but a slow start to the rounds of precipitation can exacerbate the fire season.
One particularly slow start to the rainy season occurred in 1998 when around a half-million acres burned and hundreds of homes were destroyed as fires raged out of control.
At the time, soil moisture was similar to conditions found in the desert, turning much of the state into a tinderbox.