[oceandreams94]

I am just wondering, how long do these fires last usually? DO they cause alot of damage to peoples houses....are there always lots of reports of people having to move because of this?
When do the fires start and why?

[hiknapster]

It happened every season of the nine years that I lived there.

Some years are worse than others. It usually starts some time in February or March and lasts until about June, when the rainy season starts. Although that can also be bad, due to lightning setting off fires, but once the rains start to saturate the state, it usually ends.


I remember 2005 to be particularly bad, since there were so many knocked down trees due to the hurricanes of 2004, a lot of the state was like a tinderbox.

[Lisa_from_Debary]

Almost every area that has a dry season has fires...This is the first time I remember them being so horrible that my asthma has been a problem.

In my area, so far no one has been injured, I am very concerned for the fire fighters...they must really be dragging after so long.

If you want to check out the fire situation then check out www.local6.com, they normally have a story about what is going on, how many acres are effected, how many fires at this time and if there are any evacuations. Local6 is the CBS affiliate for the Orlando/Daytona area.

I was in Texas two Christmases ago and it was so hot and dry that the place started burning...When I lived there growing up, that normally only happened in the summer.

[riveree]

Originally Posted by oceandreams94

I am just wondering, how long do these fires last usually? DO they cause alot of damage to peoples houses....are there always lots of reports of people having to move because of this?
When do the fires start and why?

The fires start because in early Spring we have little rain and we have hot and drying winds...the forests are ready and ripe waiting for someone to come along and flick a lit cigarrette to get it all rolling...yeah, this is really how a lot of them start - carelessness. They can ignite naturally too of course.

In Jacksonville & St. Augustine area, 1998 was one of our worst years for "Firestorms", as they're called. Now, so much of those former forests have been developed, the chances of it getting so bad has lessened considerably.

Usually, when you see the stories on the news about people losing their homes, those homes are in the rural areas...it doesn't happen in the dense urban/suburban areas. The media loves a story, and while it is very sad that these people lose their homes, it is usually just a handful of homes - it's not as big of a problem as the media would have you believe.

The fires can last days or weeks, they can be really hard to stop and they often are burning underground so they have to flood areas...the firemen have a tough job with these fires. As you drive around in the more wooded areas, you'll see where the firemen have done "controlled burns" to help prevent the spread of future fires by burning perimeters out.

So if anyone reading this is a smoker - don't flick your butts! Extinguish them properly and dispose of them properly!

[daniellefort]

Originally Posted by oceandreams94

I am just wondering, how long do these fires last usually? DO they cause alot of damage to peoples houses....are there always lots of reports of people having to move because of this?
When do the fires start and why?

They can last for weeks if they are in the forests. once it's so dry, the fire can start by a lightening stroke, throwing a cigarette butt out the window (which is just saw someone do in my yard yesterday as i was sitting out on my porch - wow that made me mad) or even pulling off the road into the grass with your car. Underneath your car gets so hot it can easily spark a fire. Last year during the airshow, that happened as they were using an open field for parking and someone happed to park and lit the entire parking lot on fire. While people were watching the airshow, their cars were burning behind them. It was horrible. Usually the first few months of the year are the worst but this year seems much worse than i've ever seen. I'm on the west coast and most fires on the east coast. looking out my winder you would think the neighbor had a fire going. it's so smokey. We also did not get much rain at all last year so the grounds were already dry to begin with this year. Our lake is 5 feet below what it should be and the boat ramps are closed.

[Rhett_Butler]

Originally Posted by riveree

In Jacksonville & St. Augustine area, 1998 was one of our worst years for "Firestorms", as they're called. Now, so much of those former forests have been developed, the chances of it getting so bad has lessened considerably.

That's the year I was trying to think of.... Dang, it's been 9 years!!

I remember portions of I 95 being closed, etc, Brevard got it pretty bad too if I recall.....

[FL_TN_Nana]

I heard on the noon news today that the Forestry Division says there are 260 active fires in Florida! But a lot of our smoke is still coming from that huge one in Georgia.

PRAY FOR RAIN!

[Dee2e]

http://activefiremaps.fs.fed.us/lg_fire2.php# see the US Forestry Map for active fires in the US

or http://www.nifc.gov/fireinfo/nfn.html (broken link)

[ssg II]

1998 was the worst. All of Flagler County was evacuated. I think all the homes that were lost here were in the "U" section of Palm Coast. To me, it was scarier than a hurricane.

See: www.news-journalonline.com/special/fire98 (broken link)

[Prichard]

Was '98 the year of the Daytona / Volusia County fires along I-4? Has it been that long?

Yep, every year we have fires around this time of year - from the middle of the state all the way north through Georgia. When it's hot and humid, stuff grows fast and then turns dry and brittle during the winter. Lots of dead grass, dry brush and flamable pine trees around. Feb through May are our windy somewhat dry months, so things burn.

Around the Tomoka State Park area, I do believe the fires have consumed some houses. But, usually people live out of harms way.