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Dry Summer, Fall Raising Florida Wildfire Worries

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Nov 12, 2007 7:07 am US/Eastern

Dry Summer, Fall Raising Florida Wildfire Worries

WEST PALM BEACH (CBS4) ― The dry season has just begun in Florida, and even though we are still technically in Hurricane season, rainfall is expected to be scarce for the next few months. That expected dry spell has Florida officials worrying about wildfires months before they usually become an issue.

 

Firefighters are bracing for a bad fire season because of an ongoing drought and parched conditions throughout the state. Forecasters say the persistent La Nina effect will keep dry weather patterns over Florida.

 

State forester Michael Long says last year's fire season was bad, and this year might be "that bad or worse."

 

Last year, there were 4,796 wildfires that burned more than 221,000 acres in Florida. Florida's fire season peaks in the spring.

 

The lack of rainfall in many areas this past summer and fall has left Florida dry, and are causing problems with the state's water supply as well. Lake Okeechobee's level is feet below normal, and water managers are considering full time severe water use restrictions for South Florida.

(© 2009 CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. The Associated Press contributed to this report.)

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