WUFT News News and Public Media for North Central Florida from the University of Florida in Gainesville
So far this wildfire season, 1,400 wildfires have burned 60,000 acres across Florida. To better battle them, officials may seek out assistance from other states.
Read More »Florida Could Call On Other States To Help Combat Wildfires
Gov. Scott Announces State Of Emergency As Wildfire Numbers Continue To Rise
The Florida Forest Service reported 107 active wildfires across more than 20,000 acres in Florida as of Monday. Florida State Forester Jim Karels said about 90 percent of the wildfires so far this year have been caused by humans.
Read More »Firefighters Continue To Battle Wildfires In Ocala National Forest
Eight wildfires have broken out in the Ocala National Forest this year. The most recent fire in Ocala National Forest was in the Putnam County area forest, but firefighters had it contained by Monday.
Read More »Out-Of-State Teams Help Battle Wildfire In Osceola National Forest
United States Forest Service workers from across the country are down in Florida helping battle the fire.
Read More »Alachua County, Areas Of Florida In Severe Drought
With the worst drought circumstances since 2013, Alachua County has found itself classified as having "severe" drought conditions, one of nine counties in Florida.
Read More »Forest Service Uses Controlled Burns To Fight Ocala Wildfire
Two Ocala residents chose to flee their home Monday night after U.S. Forest Service officials conducted a controlled fire to stop the spread of the 67-acre Connor Wildfire in the Ocala National Forest. This technique, called a “burnout,” is used to regulate wildfires by burning surrounding vegetation and creating a …
Read More »Forest Service Battles Wildfire In Ocala National Forest
Firefighters are battling a 67-acre wildfire in the Ocala National Forest.
Read More »FEMA’s Craig Fugate, On His Replacement And Hatred For Bureaucracy
FEMA Administrator Craig Fugate returned to his hometown of Gainesville after stepping down when the Trump administration took office in January. Fugate sat down with WUFT News this week to talk about his experiences and the future of disaster response. The interview is available at WUFT.org.
Read More »Thousands of acres burning in North Central Florida
Heavy smoke this morning throughout North Central Florida has reduced visibility on roadways and made for hazardous driving conditions. While the fire in Levy Prairie just over the Alachua-Putnam county line may bring in some smoke, Wildfire Mitigation Specialist Ludie Bond says the main source of the smoke is from …
Read More »Smoky conditions persist from Marion County flare up
Though the fire in Orange Springs is 100% contained, fire fighters remain on the scene to monitor the area. Wildfire Mitigation Specialist Ludie Bond says the fire that started two weeks ago flared up yesterday, but fire fighters managed to keep the surrounding area safe. [audio:http://www.wuft.org/news/files/2012/03/Bond4.mp3] Due to excessive smoke, …
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