The most direct contributing factor to this series of events was an unusual weather pattern that caused abnormal patterns of precipitation across most of North America during 1998. The “El Niño” weather conditions, which resulted from elevated water temperatures in a large area of the Pacific Ocean, brought drought conditions to all of Florida, while several normally arid regions of the country experienced above average precipitation.
Florida is not know for major wildland fires. The state has large areas of rich timber lands, which contribute very significantly to the state’s economy. While the dense vegetation that is native to most of the state provides an ample supply of fuel, the high humidity and frequent rains keep Florida’s wildland fire risk under control in most years. The fires that do occur are usually contained quickly, although the lush vegetation often required major efforts to complete overhaul and final extinguishment.
The events of 1998 illustrate how quickly this balance can change with the forces of nature. The drought index in most of Florida during May, June and early July was over 700 on a scale of 800. Temperatures and humidity readings were similar to those often encountered in the western states. Without their normal moisture content,the abundant pine forests were easily ignited and burned very rapidly.
One previous experience with an unusually dry period demonstrated the vulnerability of these areas to interface fires. On Good Friday, May 17, 1985 a series of fires broke out almost simultaneously and burned into several coastal communities. On that one day, 131 structures were destroyed in the Palm Coast area of Flagler County. The weather conditions at that time were very similar to those encountered in 1998, however, the weather changed within 24 hours and the high fire risk conditions diminished.
The fires of 1998 involved some of the same areas, but were much larger and occurred over a period of almost two months. In the intervening years, the population at risk in those areas has increased tremendously and rapid population growth has created hundreds of miles of new wildland-urban interface throughout Florida. Many of the residents in these areas were unaware of the risk.
The magnitude and duration of the situation that occurred in 1998 greatly exceeded the capabilities of the fire suppression forces that were available. The fire fighters were successful in protecting most of the highly populated areas, including some extremely vulnerable communities, from fires that could not be stopped. The firefighters performed admirably and defended the front lines until a change in the weather ultimately brought relief.
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