As more than 250 Florida wildfires burn, smoke drifts toward Tampa Bay

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Pastor Dale Morgan

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May 31, 2011, 3:40:25 PM5/31/11

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As more than 250 Florida wildfires burn, smoke drifts toward Tampa Bay

By Ileana Morales and Danny Valentine, Times Staff Writers
Posted: May 31, 2011 08:07 AM

A stump smolders in the Mobbly Bayou Wilderness Preserve Tuesday morning where 3 acres burned Monday night.
	[DOUGLAS R. CLIFFORD \| Times]

Smell smoke this morning?

Officials were dealing with about 250 active wildfires in Florida Tuesday morning. There were no major fires in Pinellas, Hillsborough and Polk counties, but easterly winds were blowing smoke toward Tampa Bay from across the state.

Florida had 266 active fires, said Kristin Bennett, duty officer for the Florida Division of Forestry. Some were already extinguished, but officials were checking on them, Bennett said. A few of the fires were in Orlando this weekend.

As winds push the smoke our way, the smell will be most noticeable in the morning and in the evening, said Diane Kacmarik, a Bay News 9 meteorologist.

"Anything that's burning on the east coast we will smell here," Kacmarik said.

The problem is the state has not seen enough rain, Bennett said. A drought index at more than 500 is considered high, and it is currently at 551, she said.

Since the beginning of the year, Tampa Bay has had more rainfall than normal, but May has been a very dry month, Kacmarik said. At Tampa International Airport, less than three-quarters of an inch of rain was reported for the month. Normally, it's 2.71 inches.

The active wildfires across Florida include 18 that cover at least 100 acres, according to the Florida Division of Forestry.

Although no major wildfires were burning around Tampa Bay, the threat is there. Pinellas, Pasco and Hernando have a very high risk of fire danger, according to the Division of Forestry. Hillsborough County was listed at a high risk.

Forestry officials predicted 2011 would be a busy year for wildfires.

So far, Florida has seen nearly 2,500 wildfires on state and federal land, burning over 125,000 acres.