Florida Forest Service - Waccasassa Forestry Center

06/02/2026

05/28/2026

05/19/2026

Today, Florida Commissioner of Agriculture Wilton Simpson held a press conference alongside Attorney General James Uthmeier, Chief Financial Officer and State Fire Marshal Blaise Ingoglia, and Florida Forest Service leadership to provide an update on current wildfire conditions across the state, the wildfire outlook for the coming months, and information on what Floridians can do to prevent wildfires.

Read more: https://tinyurl.com/d8m8k98d

05/13/2026

Today, Florida Commissioner of Agriculture Wilton Simpson highlighted new findings from a University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences study demonstrating that Florida’s forest industry supported more than 103,000 jobs and generated nearly $29 billion in total economic output in 2023, reinforcing the industry’s vital role in the state’s economy and rural communities.

Learn more: https://tinyurl.com/2s3mzb22

05/11/2026

🔥 Wildfire Update: 5/12; 11:30 a.m. 🔥

The 172 Avenue Fire in southeast Miami-Dade remains at 300 acres with 50% containment.

The Max Road Fire in Broward County is 11,339 acres with 70% containment.

Follow on X/Twitter for further updates.
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🔥 Wildfire Update: 5/11; 4:30 p.m. 🔥

The 172 Avenue Fire in southeast Miami-Dade is now at 300 acres with 50% containment.

The Max Road Fire in Broward County is 11,000 acres with 50% containment.
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🔥 Pair of Wildfires Impacting South Florida 🔥

Two fires that started over the weekend in South Florida are continuing to grow on Monday as suppression efforts continue. Both fires are producing smoky conditions that could lead to reduced visibility, but containment operations are increasing.

The 172 Avenue Fire in southeast Miami-Dade is now at 300 acres with 30% containment. The Florida Forest Service has 9 rangers on site with 2 track vehicles and 2 Type-6 engines. FFS is coordinating with Miami-Dade Fire Rescue and other local, state, and federal agencies. Federal aviation resources are on scene.

The Max Road Fire in Broward County near North Krome Avenue and N.W. 186 Street is 5,600 acres with 30% containment. FFS has 6 firefighters on scene with 3 engines and 2 track vehicles. The National Guard is on the scene, and FFS is coordinating with local and state agencies.

05/07/2026

05/06/2026

LOCHLOOSA WEST FIRE UPDATE (May 6, 2026)

956 ACRES AND 50% CONTAINED
Florida Forest Service - Waccasassa Forestry Center continues staffing day and night crews on this fire. Last night and the night before, they conducted burnout operations meaning they fired off areas of unburned fuel (vegetation) when humidity is up and winds are down in an effort to reduce the potential of the fire burning into those areas during drier and windier conditions in the daytime hours which could potentially lead to erratic fire behavior such as spotting. This resulted in ash falling in areas of east Gainesville and Waldo last night. Helicopters continue to respond to this fire each day to drop water in areas containing heat.

Smoke from this fire has the potential to impact areas northeast of the fire today due to winds from the southwest.

A map of the fire area will be posted as soon as one is available.

The US National Weather Service Jacksonville Florida issued a red flag warning in effect until Thursday, May 7 at 8:00pm for low humidity, high temperatures and high winds for Putnam and eastern Marion County.

05/06/2026

🚨 Forecast Drags Wildfire Season into Heart of Summer 🚨

Florida’s already active fire season likely will extend further into the summer, pushing dangerous wildfire conditions past what is typically considered the state’s dry period, according to outlooks released by the National Interagency Fire Center.

While drought-like conditions have plagued the state since late 2025, Florida’s peak wildfire season usually encompasses April, May, and June. Unfortunately, the entire state is expected to see more above-average wildfire potential in July and even August, according to NIFC outlooks.
In just over four months of 2026, Florida has already tallied almost 2,000 wildfires and over 120,000 acres burned throughout the state. Over the past 10 years, Florida has averaged about 2,675 wildfires and just over 140,000 acres burned per year.

For wildfire prevention and preparation tips, visit BeWildfireReadyFL.com.
For up-to-date information on current wildfire conditions in Florida, visit https://tinyurl.com/mt94pdfa.

05/05/2026

LOCHLOOSA WEST FIRE

228 ACRES AND 30% CONTAINED

Crews from Florida Forest Service - Waccasassa Forestry Center and St. Johns River Water Management District are focusing on mop up and improving containment lines.

CR325 was reopened last night at 9:00pm. DOT put road signs up along CR325 due to the potential for the recurrence of smoke impacts. Alachua County Sheriff deputies monitored the roads for visibility concerns.

Smoke from this fire has the potential to impact areas west and northwest of the fire due to winds from the southeast.

https://bewildfirereadyfl.com/