Charlotte and Lee counties are in “extreme fire danger” while Sarasota county is under a “high” fire danger warning, the Florida Fire Service said Thursday. In a statement, the fire service said the designations mean that fires start quickly, spread furiously, and burn intensely. Development into high intensity burning will usually be faster and occur from smaller fires than in the very high fire danger class.
The warning comes as multiple brush fires have burned through Southwest Florida in recent weeks, including one that shut down I-75 in Charlotte County on Wednesday and another in April that scorched an area equivalent to half the size of Fort Myers. Gov. Rick Scott issued a state of emergency in April due to multiple wildfires burning across the state. The drought shows no signs of letting up, either. According to the Weather Channel, not a drop of rain is forecast at any point over the next two weeks.
