WILDFIRES FLOURISH WHEN HURRICANES DON'T
By Deborah Hanley, Weather Report Staff Writer

Updated:
January 24, 2008 11:37  

In 2007, wildfires across Florida burned more than 436,000 acres of state lands and 200,000 acres of federal property. With more than 4,200 wildfires across the state, 2007 was the most active wildfire season the state has seen since 2001. The biggest reason for the wildfire activity last year was the lack of hurricanes in
2006. Although tropical storms and hurricanes bring a lot of destruction and damage to the state, they also are the main source of rainfall for Florida during the summer and fall months of the year.

In 2006, high pressure over the state protected it from any direct impacts of a major tropical system. However, tropical rainfall was prevented from reaching the state and bringing the beneficial moisture needed to keep the lakes and rivers full and the ground water at normal levels. The drought that began last summer continued through the winter, resulting in record low lake levels in Lake Okeechobee and severe water restrictions in south Florida
during the spring.

By May 31, 2007, the state had 177 active wildfires burning at one time, with more than 127,000 acres on fire. The biggest fire was the lorida/Georgia Bugaboo Fire near Lake City. Smoke from that fire reached as far west as Tallahassee and as far south as Tampa and Orlando. Highways were closed for days due to heavy smoke near the fires. A large fire also burned across part of Lake Okeechobee because it was so dry. Drought conditions continue to be a concern across the state even in 2008 since 2007 was the second consecutive year with not many tropical systems across the state.

What do El Niño and La Niña mean for wildfires?

Part of the reason for the drought conditions this past year was the development of La Niña in the Pacific Ocean. La Niña conditions occur when abnormally cold water forms across the central Pacific Ocean. These cold waters create a change in the atmospheric weather patterns that result in drier and armer than normal wintersacross the Southeastern United States.

With the dry conditions the state has already experienced and continues to experience, the potential for another extremely active fire season in 2008 remains very high. When the waters in the central Pacific Ocean are warmer than normal, it is referred to as an El Niño. El
Niño conditions usually bring wetter than normal winters and reduce wildfire activity. In 2003, only 27,000 acres burned in 2,071 fires due to El Niño weather patterns
keeping plenty of moisture in the soils and waterways. This was the lowest number of acres burned in Florida’s wildfire records. Because of the influence of El Niño and La Niña on wildfire activity, it is possible to anticipate upcoming fire activity across the state based on forecasts of the next three to six months of weather and climate. As more research is done, more accurate forecasts can be made, and better planning and preparation can be made for upcoming wildfire seasons across lorida.

Dr. Deborah Hanley is a meteorologist, Florida Division of Forestry, Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Sciences.

Just what the firefighter ordered?

An ecosystem is a living community of plants and animals that need each other to exist. Why would a wildfire or a prescribed burn be a positive thing for an ecosystem? Why would a wildfire be negative? Draw a line down a piece of paper. Label the left side of the paper “positives.” Label the right side “negatives.” Look for an article in the newspaper about a wildfire. Write a brief paragraph explaining if the fire had a positive or negative effect on the ecosystem.

Sunshine State Standards: LA.A.1.3; LA.A.2.3; LA.B.2.3; LA.C.2.3; LA.C.3.3; SS.B.2.3; SC.F.1.3; SC.G.1.3