| 2023 Florida wildfires | |
| Is Season: | yes |
| Year: | 2023 |
| Season Name: | Florida wildfires |
The 2023 Florida wildfire season was series of wildfires that burned throughout the U.S. state of Florida. As of December 3, there were a total of 2,656 wildfires, burning 101188acres across the state.[1]
A number of factors contributed to the wildfire season, including a La Niña event, which limited rainfall, dry brush, and effects stemming from Hurricane Ian that made landfall in southwest Florida in 2022.[2] [3] In January 2023, the National Interagency Fire Center issued a fire potential outlook which concerned areas across northern Florida and southeastern Georgia to be at above-normal levels for significant wildland fire potential. During 2023, several major cities, including Jacksonville, Miami, Orlando, and Tampa, received below-normal precipitation, and 87 percent of the state were at abnormally dry condition levels.[4] In February, Naples received no measurable precipitation, and the following month, only 0.84inches of rain fell in Marco Island, while 0.3inches of rain fell at Naples Municipal Airport, which resulted in a burn ban in Collier County on March 4 and the designation of an extreme drought across Collier County on March 28 by the United States Drought Monitor.[5] Red flag warnings were issued across portions of the state in May, with several counties also issuing burn bans or prohibiting burning yard debris.[6]
The following is a list of fires that burned more than, or produced significant structural damage or casualties.[7]
| Name | County < | -- of origin--> | Acres | Start date | Containment date | Notes | Ref | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mile 31 | Smoke stemming from the wildfire caused low visibility on U.S. Route 27, ultimately closing a 40-mile stretch of the highway. | [8] [9] | ||||||
| Cypress Camp Trail | Mid-April | [10] | ||||||
| County Road 121 | 2023 | Caused by a vehicle fire northwest of Bryceville. | [11] [12] | |||||
| Major | Marion and Lake | 2023 | [13] | |||||
| Sandy | Collier | Started by a lightning strike at Big Cypress National Preserve. | [14] [15] |
On May 1, a lightning strike started a wildfire in southeastern Big Cypress National Preserve, forcing closures and evacuations north of Interstate 75.[16] The wildfire then grew to 8400acres by May 7,[17] and 10000acres by the next day, as did the containment of the fire, which increased to 5%.[18] Evacuation plans were then implemented on May 11 in Ochopee as the wildfire grew to more than 11000acres, also being 20% contained.[19] The next day, a portion of U.S. Route 41 was closed as the fire moved towards the highway,[20] and a travel advisory was also issued in portions of Collier and Dade counties as a result of poor visibility from smoke stemming from the wildfire.[21] The wildfire also grew to 15130acres and was 30% contained on May 12. On May 14, the wildfire continued to spread, burning 19814acres in Big Cypress National Preserve, before being fully contained two days later.[15]