It’s that time of year. The temperatures are spiking, there’s a lack of substantial rain and Florida’s peak wildfire season is upon us. If you’re keeping an eye out for any active blazes, there’s an excellent tracking tool that makes all the difference.
Managed by the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services, the Florida Forest Service (FFS) Active Wildfire Points map is an interactive service made to provide real-time data on active wildfires burning throughout the state. While you should always rely on local management alerts for evacuations or immediate threats, the FFS map makes for a great resource when monitoring fire activity.
Navigating the map
The dashboard uses ArcGIS mapping technology to give residents and news agencies a bird’s-eye view of which fires are burning. On the left side of the map, you’ll see a legend depicting the fires’ current status:
- Reported: A fire that has been called in, but hasn’t been fully assessed yet.
- Active: A fire that is currently burning and spreading.
- Contained: A fire that is surrounded by a barrier, though it may still be burning inside the perimeter.
- Controlled: A fire that is no longer spreading and is fully secured.
As you click on each wildfire icon, you’ll see critical data including its exact location, the number of acres burned and containment percentage.
When navigating the map itself, you can explore different regions and counties, and there’s a search bar on the top right to put specific places or addresses.
Why it’s important now
At the moment, there are dozens of wildfires burning around the state due to severe drought conditions. At the time of publication, the FFS map is tracking 60 active blazes. You can see them for yourself here.
Among them in South Florida are the Max Road Fire burning in the Everglades in Broward County (7,100 acres), and the 172nd Avenue Fire near Florida City (300 acres). Fire crews are actively working on extinguishing the fires, which started over the weekend.
Remember to keep an eye on the Florida Forest Service and your local authorities for additional information, especially if you live or are driving near areas impacted by these brush fires.
