| 2025 Florida wildfires | |
|---|---|
 Smoke in south Florida due to wildfires on March 20. | |
| Statistics | |
| Total fires | 2,913 [1] |
| Burned area | 228,183 acres [1] |
| Season | |
← 2024 | |
The 2025 Florida wildfires are a series of active wildfires currently ongoing in the U.S. state of Florida. As of July 2025, 2,531 fires have burned in Florida, with a total burned area of 146,761 acres.
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]
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. [5]
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. [6]
In recent years, wildfire seasons have remained active and in some cases expanded. Throughout 2023, over 2,600 wildfire incidents in Florida burned more than 101,000 acres. This year was fueled by La Niña-induced dryness, precipitation shortfalls, and vegetation damage from Hurricane Ian, prompting burn bans and Red Flag Warnings in many counties. [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]
Florida’s 2025 wildfire season has seen several significant events by mid-season, driven by lightning ignitions, dry fuels, and wind in south Florida’s Everglades and brushland areas. According to the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services, as of early October, about 162,448 acres have burned statewide in 2025. [10]
One of the largest and most prominent fires in Florida this year was the Mile Marker 39 Fire in Broward County. Ignited on August 18 by lightning in sawgrass fuels in the Everglades, it merged from two earlier fires (Mile Marker 39 + Sawgrass) and ultimately scorched about 48,000 acres before being reported fully contained. [11]
Fuel conditions in 2025 were primed by a combination of factors: drought stress in some regions, lower-than-average moisture in grasses and sawgrass, and leftover debris from prior wet seasons contributing to greater fuel loads. [12] [13]
Smoke from large fire events like Mile Marker 39 has periodically degraded air quality across South Florida, prompting health advisories and visibility warnings, particularly in Broward and neighboring counties. [14]
Because the season is still active, additional ignitions, growth, and fire impacts remain possible through the late spring, especially under dry, windy, or drought-intensifying weather conditions.
The following is a list of fires that have burned more than 1,000 acres (400 ha), or caused significant structural damage or casualties.
| Name | County | Acres | Start date | Containment date [a] | Notes/References |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Two Barrel | Liberty | 1,943 | February 26 | March 17 | The fire caused $290,000 in damage. [16] |
| Turkey Hammock | Brevard | 1,171 | February 28 | March 22 | [17] |
| BOX-R (19-T5) 0161 | Franklin | 1,200 | March 3 | March 19 | [18] |
| The 344 | Miami-Dade | 26,719 | March 12 | April 4 | [19] |
| Johnson | Miami-Dade | 8,340 | March 18 | May 13 | [20] |
| East Marsh | Volusia | 3,377 | March 31 | April 7 | [21] |
| Juniper Swamp | Liberty | 4,986 | April 12 | May 8 | [22] |
| Hilliardville | Wakulla | 1,291 | April 15 | April 20 | [23] |
| Curry Island | Glades | 1,050 | April 18 | May 1 | [24] |
| Sandy | Monroe | 6,656 | May 24 | June 5 | [25] |
| Wood | Highlands | 1,272 | May 25 | May 31 | [26] |
| Ollie Roberts Road | Hardee | 1,350 | June 10 | June 12 | [27] |
| Indian Prairie Canal (22) | Glades | 3,925 | June 22 | June 27 | [28] |
| Henry George West (29) | Hillsborough | 1,200 | June 24 | July 1 | [29] |
| Mosquito | Monroe | 8,373 | July 1 | July 11 | [30] |
| 13 Mile | Palm Beach | 13,000 | July 7 | July 15 | [31] |
| Iron | Miami-Dade | 1,374 | July 8 | July 11 | [32] |
| Mile Marker 39 | Broward | 48,000 | August 18 | August 26 | Lightning-caused. Burned in Everglades National Park and winds from Hurricane Erin pushing smoke across South Florida. [33] [34] [35] |
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