More than 300,000 acres of land have burned so far this year. Meanwhile, over the last few years Florida's farmers have lost millions of dollars in withered fruit and vegetable crops. Rivers and lakes are at record-low levels, severely limiting the state's water supply. Despite the recent development of new drought and wildfire strategies within the state emergency management agency, there is simply no substitute for rainfall, he said. Because of the ongoing wildfire, drought and water-shortage problems, the governor meets weekly with emergency managers at the state's Emergency Operations Center in Talahassee.
Wildfires are just one of the many problems resulting from Florida's record-breaking drought.
The theme parks have remained open this week, despite a haze of smoke from the nearby fire. The Division of Forestry said firefighters would continue to battle the blaze on Thursday. A much larger fire in North Florida was just 25 percent contained on Wednesday. The 10,000-acre blaze, in Lafayette County, remained in a remote swamplands area and had not threatened any buildings or residential areas, officials said. Helicopters were brought in to help firefighters douse the flames.