2023 Florida wildfires

2023 Florida wildfires
A fire truck during the Major Fire, 2023
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Season
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The 2023 Florida wildfire season was a series of wildfires that burned throughout the U.S. state of Florida. As of December 3, there were a total of 2,656 wildfires, burning 101,188 acres (158.106 sq mi) across the state.[1]

Background

Florida’s wildfire season is shaped by its subtropical climate, seasonal rainfall shifts, human activity, and occasionally catastrophic weather events. The state traditionally experiences a prolonged dry season from October through May, during which wildfire risks are elevated. Central Florida and northern Florida typically sees its wildfire trends begin as early as January, with activity continuing into May or even early June—right before the onset of the rainy season and hurricane impacts.[2][3]

Lightning is a potent natural ignition source—but its role is often overshadowed by human-caused fires, particularly those that originate from escaped yard debris burning and equipment sparks. In 2023, lightning accounted for more than 35% of wildfires, but the remainder were traced to human activities.[4][5]

Florida’s ecosystems—such as pine flatwoods and scrub—evolved with recurrent fire cycles, typically burning every 3 to 7 years to maintain ecological health. These fire-adapted landscapes depend on periodic burns to sustain species like the gopher tortoise and regenerating longleaf pine stands.[6]

Major wildfire years have occurred in the past. One of the most destructive was the 1998 Florida wildfires, a series of thousands of fires sparked mostly by lightning and exacerbated by heavy vegetation growth followed by sudden drought conditions. These blazes scorched roughly 500,000 acres—including over 150 structures—before rains eventually helped contain them.[7]

Hurricanes leave behind another major and often overlooked risk factor: downed trees and debris. These serve as abundant dry fuel. Experts warn that when combined with ongoing drought and drought-induced dryness, these remnants contribute significantly to early and intense fire outbreaks each spring.[8][9]

Meteorological synopsis

A number of factors contributed to the wildfire season, including a La Niña event, which limited rainfall, dry brush, and effects stemming from Hurricane Ian that made landfall in southwest Florida in 2022.[10][11] In January 2023, the National Interagency Fire Center issued a fire potential outlook which concerned areas across northern Florida and southeastern Georgia to be at above-normal levels for significant wildland fire potential.[10] During 2023, several major cities, including Jacksonville, Miami, Orlando, and Tampa, received below-normal precipitation, and 87 percent of the state were at abnormally dry condition levels.[12] In February, Naples received no measurable precipitation, and the following month, only 0.84 inches (21 mm) of rain fell in Marco Island, while 0.30 inches (7.6 mm) of rain fell at Naples Municipal Airport, which resulted in a burn ban in Collier County on March 4 and the designation of an extreme drought across Collier County on March 28 by the United States Drought Monitor.[13] Red flag warnings were issued across portions of the state in May, with several counties also issuing burn bans or prohibiting burning yard debris.[14]

List of wildfires

The following is a list of fires that burned more than 1,000 acres (400 ha), or produced significant structural damage or casualties.[15]

Name County Acres Start date Containment date[a] Notes Ref
Mile 31 Broward 13,500 March 12 March 16 Smoke stemming from the wildfire caused low visibility on U.S. Route 27, ultimately closing a 40-mile stretch of the highway. [17][18]
Cypress Camp Trail Collier 9,749 April 4 April 10 [19]
County Road 121 Nassau 1,053 April 20 2023 Caused by a vehicle fire northwest of Bryceville. [20][21]
Major Marion and Lake 4,952 April 27 June 7 [22]
Sandy Collier 19,814 May 1 May 18 Started by a lightning strike at Big Cypress National Preserve. [23][24]

Notable fires

Sandy Fire

On May 1, a lightning strike started a wildfire in southeastern Big Cypress National Preserve, forcing closures and evacuations north of Interstate 75.[25] The wildfire then grew to 8,400 acres (13.1 sq mi) by May 7,[26] and 10,000 acres (16 sq mi) by the next day, as did the containment of the fire, which increased to 5%.[27] Evacuation plans were then implemented on May 11 in Ochopee as the wildfire grew to more than 11,000 acres (17 sq mi), also being 20% contained.[25][28] The next day, a portion of U.S. Route 41 was closed as the fire moved towards the highway,[29] and a travel advisory was also issued in portions of Collier and Dade counties as a result of poor visibility from smoke stemming from the wildfire.[30] The wildfire also grew to 15,130 acres (23.64 sq mi) and was 30% contained on May 12.[30] On May 14, the wildfire continued to spread, burning 19,814 acres (30.959 sq mi) in Big Cypress National Preserve, before being fully contained two days later.[24]

Notes

  1. ^ Containment means that fire crews have established and secured control lines around the fire's perimeter. These lines are artificial barriers, like trenches or cleared vegetation, designed to stop the fire's spread, or natural barriers like rivers. Containment reflects progress in managing the fire but does not necessarily mean the fire is starved of fuel, under control, or put out.[16]

References

  1. ^ "Current Wildfire Information". Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services. Retrieved December 8, 2023.
  2. ^ "Central Florida's Wildfire Season: What to Watch for". Spectrum News 13. Retrieved August 14, 2025.
  3. ^ "When is Florida Fire Season?". WTSP. Retrieved August 14, 2025.
  4. ^ "Hot and dry conditions to raise wildfire risk in Florida – Climate Cosmos". Climate Cosmos. Retrieved August 14, 2025.
  5. ^ "What's Growing On: Wildfire season in Florida". WCJB. Retrieved August 14, 2025.
  6. ^ "Fire Ecology – Local History". IFAS Florida Cooperative Extension. Retrieved August 14, 2025.
  7. ^ "Wildland Fires Florida 1998" (PDF). United States Fire Administration. Archived from the original (PDF) on October 19, 2011. Retrieved March 26, 2020.
  8. ^ "Fires are burning throughout U.S. Here's where there's greater risk". Washington Post. Retrieved August 14, 2025.
  9. ^ "Wildfires expected to burn up to 9 million acres in US this year. Will tropics help Florida?". USA Today. Retrieved August 14, 2025.
  10. ^ a b Wulfeck, Andrew (December 3, 2022). "Florida expected to be hotbed for wildfires in early 2023". FOX Weather. Retrieved December 8, 2023.
  11. ^ "Drought plus rising temperatures boost chances of Florida Wildfires". The Miami Herald. April 8, 2023. pp. A3. Retrieved December 10, 2023.
  12. ^ Wulfeck, Andrew (March 4, 2023). "Wildfires grow in Florida amid intensifying drought". FOX Weather. Retrieved December 8, 2023.
  13. ^ "Storm Events Database - Event Details". National Centers for Environmental Information. Retrieved December 10, 2023.
  14. ^ McCloud, Cheryl (May 3, 2023). "Large portion of Florida under red flag warning. What's that mean?". Daytona Beach News-Journal Online. Retrieved December 8, 2023.
  15. ^ "WFIGS 2023 Interagency Fire Perimeters to Date". National Interagency Fire Center.
  16. ^ "What containment and other wildfire related terms mean". Los Angeles: KCAL-TV. September 12, 2024. Retrieved July 25, 2025.
  17. ^ "Storm Events Database - Event Details". National Centers for Environmental Information. Retrieved December 10, 2023.
  18. ^ Hamacher, Brian (March 12, 2023). "Smoke From Wildfire in Western Broward Leads to Closure of Portion of US 27". NBC Miami. Retrieved December 10, 2023.
  19. ^ "Storm Events Database - Event Details". National Centers for Environmental Information. Retrieved December 9, 2023.
  20. ^ "Storm Events Database - Event Details". National Centers for Environmental Information. Retrieved December 10, 2023.
  21. ^ Avanier, Erik (April 20, 2023). "Nassau County brush fire extends 650 acres, 20% contained". WJXT. Retrieved December 10, 2023.
  22. ^ "Major Fire". InciWeb. Retrieved July 31, 2023.
  23. ^ "Sandy Fire". InciWeb. Retrieved July 31, 2023.
  24. ^ a b "Storm Events Database - Event Details". National Centers for Environmental Information. Retrieved December 8, 2023.
  25. ^ a b Bayles, Tom; Braun, Michael (May 11, 2023). "Sandy Fire over 11,000 acres; some residents urged to leave". WGCU. Retrieved December 8, 2023.
  26. ^ Braun, Michael (May 7, 2023). "Uncontrolled Sandy Fire grows to 8,400 acres despite weeklong containment efforts". WGCU. Retrieved December 8, 2023.
  27. ^ "Containment Increases on Sandy Wildfire". National Park Service. Retrieved December 8, 2023.
  28. ^ Vigo, Melvin (May 11, 2023). "Sandy Wildfire Evacuation Plan underway in Ochopee". WINK-TV. Retrieved December 8, 2023.
  29. ^ Alvarez, Michelle; Dolan, Paul (May 12, 2023). "Big Sandy Fire rages over 15,000 acres". WINK-TV. Retrieved December 8, 2023.
  30. ^ a b Braun, Michael (May 12, 2023). "Troopers close section of U.S. 41 as 15-plus acre Sandy Fire closes in". WLRN. Retrieved December 8, 2023.
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