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FLORIDA, US – Florida’s 2026 wildfire season has intensified to “extreme” levels as of Friday, May 8, with state officials reporting that more than 120,000 acres have burned across nearly 2,000 individual fires, an area larger than the city of Orlando. The National Interagency Fire Center and the Florida Forest Service are managing multiple uncontained large fires that have shown extreme fire behavior in recent hours, including wind-driven runs, long-range spotting and torching in timber and southern rough fuels. Priority incidents include the South Canal Fire, located about 12 miles south of Mayo, which has scorched roughly 1,200 acres, is only 30% contained and is exhibiting wind-driven and crown fire activity, and the Lochloosa West Fire, about 12 miles southeast of Gainesville, which is displaying active running and group torching in rough terrain. FLORIDA, US – Other major incidents include the Sargent Fire in Baker, which has reached 2,523 acres and is 81% contained but continues to threaten nearby railroad infrastructure, and the Cow Creek Fire in Levy County, which has burned about 2,000 acres, is 50% contained and poses an active threat to local structures. Road closures and evacuations are in place in several regions northwest of Fargo, Georgia, where the Pineland Road Fire is endangering numerous structures and critical infrastructure. Officials in Austin, Texas, and elsewhere in the southern United States are monitoring Florida’s conditions as a benchmark for the broader regional fire outlook, as earlier spring rains spurred vegetation growth that is now drying under rising May temperatures, increasing the available fuel for fast-moving fires.

By Daniel Hayes | JQJO News