Florida Bugaboo Wildfire Continues, Update
Posted by Jeff Gammons on 18 May 2007 at 7:07 am
Tagged as: Florida Weather
A little update on the Florida Bugaboo wildfire in Baker / Columbia counties. The Florida Department of Forestry, say that the fire is about 65% contained as of this morning, but more problems could be in the near future as a cold front will be moving through the area today. This cold front is expected to filter in more dry air once again, lowering the dew points and humidity back down to dangerous fire levels. If the moisture wasn’t enough to deal with, the gusty winds are expected to return as well today and into the weekend with northeasterly winds in the 15-20mph range with higher gusts. This will only help fuel the Bugaboo wildfire to spread more over the weekend and continue the heavy smoke hanging over the southeast and Florida. The Smoke Plume is awful!
Statement from Dept of Forestry:
Florida Bugaboo Fire –
The Bugaboo Fire is 65% contained and covers approximately 180 square miles. Firefighters plan to burn out additional pockets of unburned vegetation near the existing firelines if conditions allow. The perimeter of the fire is looking very good, however, today the interior of the fire was actively burning. The fire perimeter on the southwest side is still about one mile from Omar Terrace, the closest homes. The only road closed in the immediate area is U.S. Highway 441 from I-10 north to the state line and the exit ramps off of the I-10/Hwy 441 interchange. Structural firefighters are staged along U.S. Highway 441 ready to spray water and foam on the houses, barns and other structures in the event the fire jumps control lines. The next two days will be critical on the Florida Bugaboo Fire as winds pick up and relative humidity drops behind a cold front that is crossing the state today.
Fire Cause: By Lightning.
Florida Drought Continues
The Florida severe drought continues, but the southern half of the state over the last week has received some rainfall, with several inches recorded in spots. This was excellent news, and let me tell you, it smelled and sounded great! One night the rolling thunder lasted for 4 hours, and we received over two inches of rain. It was a nice change, but not even close enough to help the drought in any way. It will take months of our rainy season just to try and get us out of the severe drought levels. A good slow moving tropical storm system would be a bonus to help get the water levels up some in a fast way.
Just might get that wish as hurricane season starts in 14 days.
Related Drought and Wildfire Posts:
- Florida Drought Photos and Video 2007
- Florida Needs A Hurricane Right About Now
- Florida Wildfires Due To Severe Drought
- Florida & Georgia Wildfires, Smoke Over Takes Florida
- Florida Drought Scenes 2007, It’s Bad Now
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Jeff, Was looking at the SPC discussion and they are mentioning the dust off of Africa again.vThink this will be a Cane killer like last year? I realize that the whole pattern has changed from last year. Thoughts?
Hey Rick! Yeah last year the dusk was a major issues, but along with all the dry air and strong upper level winds. The shear was a major storm killer last season.
The dust is a native every summer over the Atlantic. Every year here in FLorida (about July) we deal with the dust on our cars and homes as it travels across the ocean. It normal each year, but last season it was above normal. I don’t think it will be a huge player in this seasons storms, but I also think a lot of our threats with come from home grown cyclones…. (development east of the Bahama’s / Caribbean / Gulf.
There already is a nice large area of dust hanging over the eastern Atlantic.
Oh, gosh, I hope that’s not the case. We need that tropical moisture desperately this year. These fires are out of control, and the drought… I don’t even want to entertain that thought.
Jeff, I’m so glad you guys have gotten some rain. It was definitely long overdue. Perhaps, it wasn’t a drought buster, but every little bit helps, right? We are headed into yet another dry spell… big sigh…
THanks Dew… Yeah no drought buster, but at least the ground is not like hay anymore. I know you all need it just as bad, and the fires and smoke are killing you.
I’ll be in Jaxsonville around the 1st, I’ll try and bring the storms up that way with me.
Hey, just got a MD about convection headed your way… boy, am I jealous!
Fun stuff!
pretty large hail here…….441 se………husband had to pull over and hide over at awesome self storage- me and the daughter video taping it- kinda pretty but scary.
Just getting in from filming a nasty hail storm here in Okee. Been out of the house much of the day, and coming into town this evening, saw the impressive severe storm moving in from the northwest.
Pretty wild for south FLorida hail. More later
Wow! Hail! That’s incredible! I look forward to the post. Wild weather everywhere but here… Sounds like you got some good chasing in yesterday, though! That’s great!
Just wait until the TwisterSisters get ya into the hail core to get through to the tornado. You’ll get your hail chance.