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Wildfires continue in SWFL despite arrival of rainy season

COLLIER COUNTY, Fla. – Rainy season has begun but the Florida Forrest Service says the fire fight is far from over. 

As crews continue to battle 95 acres of fire in the Picayune Strand Forrest, they are concerned as afternoon thunderstorm begin to roll in.  

Wildfire Mitigation Specialist with the Florida Forrest Service Caloosahatchee District Melinda Avni said hundreds of acres of land across Florida is dried out. 

“A majority of the state is in a slightly dryer condition than what we expect for this time of year,” Avni said. 

Anything that radiates a significant amount of heat can start a fire in these weather conditions, Avni said. 

Right now, the afternoon thunderstorms are not making the job any easier for fire crews.  

“We do get a little concerned when those storms come after such a prolonged dry period,” Avni said. 

The reason is because the land is still very dry right now and a lightning strike could easily ignite a wildfire. 

Avni says it could take several weeks for the rain to help mitigate the impacts of lightning. 

Although, wildfires seem to only bring destruction and devastation fires caused by lightning have a big purpose in our ecosystem.

“This is a natural form of renewal of returning stored nutrients like carbon and nitrogen stored in plants and dead down material back into the soil, revitalizing the soil for new growth,” Avni said. 

Until we get more steady rain we can expect this fire fight to be far from over. 

The post Wildfires continue in SWFL despite arrival of rainy season appeared first on NBC2 News.

NBC2 (WBBH-TV)

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