2025 Florida wildfires

Content sourced from Wikipedia, licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0.

The 2025 Florida wildfires were a series of fires that burned across the state. By October, about 162,000 acres had burned and thousands of fires had been reported.

Florida’s fire season follows a long and dry period from October through May. In central and northern Florida, fires can start as early as January and continue into May or early June before the rainy season and hurricanes. Lightning can start fires, but many come from human activities such as yard debris burning or sparks from equipment.

Florida’s pine flatwoods and scrub ecosystems rely on periodic fires every 3 to 7 years to stay healthy and support species like the gopher tortoise and regenerating longleaf pines.

Past big fires include the 1998 Florida wildfires, which burned about 500,000 acres and damaged many structures. In 2023, Florida had over 2,600 fires burning more than 101,000 acres. Hurricanes also leave behind downed trees and debris that fuel fires.

In 2025, one large fire was the Mile Marker 39 Fire in Broward County. It started August 18 from lightning and grew to about 48,000 acres in the Everglades and surrounding brush.

Smoke from large fires has at times lowered air quality in South Florida and triggered health advisories.

Experts say dry conditions, leftover debris, and drought can make fires start early and spread quickly each spring.