Ludie Ehlers said the National Guard had been called out and firefighters from North Carolina and South Carolina were on their way to Florida. Firefighting efforts were being transferred from local firefighting units to state and federal firefighting agencies, which were expected to take control of operations by 5 p.m. Ground crews, helicopters and air tankers had been called in to help. The Florida Division of Forestry reported there had been 2,825 fires statewide, burning 254,360 acres, since January 1. Florida's Forest Protection Bureau said more acres of land had been burned so far in 2001 than are normally scorched in an entire year. They cited the ongoing drought in Florida and weather conditions as the major factors in this year's fire season.
Agencies report the fire danger as very high to extreme.
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