2026 Florida wildfires

2026 Florida wildfires
Season
←  2025

The 2026 Florida wildfires were a series of wildfires that burned in the U.S. state of Florida.

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. ^{[1] [2]}

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. ^[3]

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. ^[4]

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. ^[5] In recent years, wildfire seasons have remained active and in some cases expanded. ^[6]

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. ^{[7] [8]}

A lack of landfalling tropical cyclones in the 2025 Atlantic hurricane season contributed to one of the worst droughts in decades across the region, with 99% of the state being in drought and 85% being in severe drought or worse by mid-February 2026. ^{[9] [10]}

List of wildfires

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
Silver Lake	Wakulla	4,816	January 17	January 22	Human-caused in Apalachicola National Forest. [12] [13]
ST-1 Alpha	Highlands	3,047	February 3	February 5	[14]
Curry Island 26	Glades	1,800	February 7	February 7	[15]
Buggy	Broward	4,173	February 7	February 9	[16]
West Boundary Road	Hendry	2,624	February 10	95%	[17]
640	Polk	1,216	February 10	February 10	[18]
First Point	Okeechobee, Glades	8,612	February 12	February 13	[19]
Levy	Osceola	1,300	February 15	February 15	[20]

See also

• 2026 United States wildfires

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. ^[11]

References

1. "Central Florida's Wildfire Season: What to Watch for". Spectrum News 13. Retrieved August 14, 2025.
2. "When is Florida Fire Season?". WTSP. Retrieved August 14, 2025.
3. "What's Growing On: Wildfire season in Florida". WCJB. Retrieved August 14, 2025.
4. "Fire Ecology – Local History". IFAS Florida Cooperative Extension. Retrieved August 14, 2025.
5. "Wildland Fires Florida 1998" (PDF). United States Fire Administration. Archived from the original (PDF) on October 19, 2011. Retrieved March 26, 2020.
6. "Current Wildfire Information". Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services . Retrieved December 8, 2023.
7. "Fires are burning throughout U.S. Here's where there's greater risk". Washington Post. Retrieved August 14, 2025.
8. "Wildfires expected to burn up to 9 million acres in US this year. Will tropics help Florida?". USA Today. Retrieved August 14, 2025.
9. "99% of Florida is in a drought, and one city's rainfall shows how dry it's been". AccuWeather. February 13, 2026. Retrieved February 15, 2026.
10. "Florida fire danger spikes as 'Extreme Drought' reaches 25-year high, as state of emergency declared". No. February 13, 2026. Fox Weather . Retrieved February 15, 2026.
11. "What containment and other wildfire related terms mean". Los Angeles: KCAL-TV. September 12, 2024. Retrieved July 25, 2025.
12. "Silver Lake Fire Map". Watch Duty . Retrieved January 21, 2026.
13. "Silver Lake - Wildfire and Smoke Map". data.floridatoday.com. Retrieved February 3, 2026.
14. "ST-1 Alpha Fire Map". Watch Duty. Retrieved February 3, 2026.
15. "Curry Island 26 (22) Fire Map". Watch Duty. Retrieved February 7, 2026.
16. "Buggy - Broward (06) Fire Map". Watch Duty. Retrieved February 7, 2026.
17. "W Boundary Rd (26) Fire Map". Watch Duty. Retrieved February 11, 2026.
18. "640 (53) Fire Map". Watch Duty. Retrieved February 11, 2026.
19. "First Point (22) Fire Map". Watch Duty. Retrieved February 14, 2026.
20. "Levy (49) Fire Map". Watch Duty. Retrieved February 15, 2026.