The National Weather Service has issued a fire weather watch for Southwest Florida for Wednesday and Thursday.  As WGCU’s John Davis reports, the Florida Division of Forestry is urging residents be extra vigilant.

Officials with the Florida Division of Forestry are gearing up for what’s expected to be an active wildfire season this year.  WGCU’s John Davis has more.

Firefighters and forestry officials are keeping busy
as wildfires continue to break out across Southwest Florida.  WGCU’s
Valerie Alker reports.

The
National Weather Service has issued a Fire Weather Watch for Southwest
Florida through Saturday.  WGCU’s Chelsey Stoner reports.

Firefighters from 5 agencies continue working to contain a now-4-thousand-acre wildfire on Lake Okeechobee near Moore Haven. Mike Kiniry reports.

Firefighters continue working to contain a more than 3-thousand-acre wildfire on Lake Okeechobee near Moore Haven. WGCU’s Mike Kiniry reports.

Despite recent rains southwest Florida remains the driest part of the Sunshine State. And with wildfire season just around the corner, forestry officials are reminding residents to exercise extreme caution. WGCU’s Mike Kiniry reports.

On Tuesday Florida’s first ever drought and wildfire summit brought together local, state and federal officials in Tallahassee to talk about the state’s ongoing drought and its threat of wildfires. Trimmel Gomes reports.

Firefighters and forestry officials are still working to contain the large fire in Picayune Strand in Collier County. It’s burned about 17-thousand 5-hundred acres and destroyed three homes. It’s now mostly contained, but wind and a lack of rain continue to work against firefighters.

And severe drought conditions across south Florida give firefighters an extra challenge while fighting wildfires. Wildfire mitigation specialist with the Florida Division of Forestry – Gerry LaCavera - says low water levels can be a logistic problem…

“Access to water can be a problem especially when we’re using air support or ground tankers to fill up brush trucks as we are here. Some canals in the area just don’t have enough water to draft out of, or if we had the helicopter here there would only be certain water sources the helicopter could dip out of to get a supply of water. So the lower levels of water make the turnaround time increased in some cases. Slower we get water to either the brush trucks or to our helicopter onto the fire, the longer it’s going to take to contain it. So it’s just one of those logistic problems that adds to our problems out here.“

The Picayune Fire has closed I-75…that’s Alligator Alley…from CR 951 south all the way to SR 29 several times over the past few days. It’s currently open…and is expected to stay so, at least for the time being.

LaCavera says the fire was likely sparked by lightning.

Firefighters continue working a large wildfire in Picayune Strand State Forest in Collier County. It could be next week sometime before it’s completely contained. There have been more than a dozen wildfires in Southwest Florida, and more than 200 across the Sunshine State, in the past few days. And forecasters and water managers seem to agree that dry conditions are just getting worse. The fire in Picayune Strand is one of the largest burning right now in Florida.

WGCU's Mike Kiniry caught up with the Florida Division of Forestry's Gerry LaCavera who says they’re working closely with local fire departments, using a 2-pronged approach to containment…