TALLAHASSEE, Fla (WTXL) -- Prolonged periods of dryness can set up the region for heightened risks of wildfires.
With an abundance of forest lands in the area, limited rainfall causes parched landscape that can easily ignite with the smallest spark, one leftover lit cigarette butt, or a seemingly harmless campfire. Low humidity, strong winds, and persistent high pressure can quickly spread flames, forcing the fire to rage out of control and harm nearby neighborhoods and travel thoroughfares.
One such year of devastating wildfire action was 1998, when precipitation totals were only around 15% to 30% of average in North Florida that June, with a west-northwest wind flow preventing rain development and boosting temperatures into the upper 90s to around 100° for a number of days. These conditions, along with lightning strikes and even cases of arson, set over half a million acres of land ablaze in north-central Florida.
Forest services use "prescribed burning" to control underbrush and heavy plant growth to reduce the amount of "fuel" available in fire-prone areas. Prescribed burns also aid in the control of forest pests and disease.
North Florida has the unique distinction of holding the state record for both the warmest and the coldest temperatures on record. Tallahassee set an all time low temperature of -2°F on Feb. 13, 1899, while nearby Monticello soared to 109° on June 29, 1931. Also, north Florida experiences more cold spells than the rest of the state thanks to the frequency of cold fronts from the northern latitudes, carrying sources of cold air that trigger several rounds of freezing temperatures in the cold season.
Unlike the Florida Peninsula, surrounded by three bodies of water, the Big Bend only has the Apalachee Bay coastline as a source of cooling seabreezes, so periods of west or northwest winds during the warmer parts of the year can intensify heat waves and create extremely high temperatures. Existing humidity can cause feels-like temperatures that can reach a level of danger to health and safety.
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