PANAMA CITY — Multiple fires broke out across the Florida Panhandle during the last weekend of November as drought continued.
The Florida Forest Service has public observers for active wildfires. Here are details of ongoing fires in each county in the region as of December 1:
bay county
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As of November 30, the Brandon Road Fire is 100% contained to 5 acres.
calhoun county
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Shuman Ferry Road Fire, the 10-acre fire is 75% contained as of Nov. 30.
jackson county
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As of November 30, the Pond Lane Fire, which covers 3.5 acres, is 75% contained.
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As of Nov. 30, the Avery Road fire is 100% contained and covers 7 acres.
washington county
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As of Dec. 1, the 6.5-acre Rock Hill Church Road fire is 75 percent contained.
Holmes County
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As of Dec. 1, the Highway 179 Fire, a 6-acre fire, is 80% contained.
Okaloosa County
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As of November 30, the R40 Fire was contained to 5 acres, with a fire containment rate of 0%.
santa rosa county
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Hosea Gillman Road Fire, the 1.5-acre fire is 95% contained as of Nov. 29.
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Jimmy Ates Road Fire, the 1.5-acre fire is 95% contained as of Nov. 29.
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Davis Road Fire, as of November 29, the fire area is 0.75 acres and the fire containment rate is 0%.
Some areas are in an “abnormally dry” state
The fires come as dry weather plunges the entire Panhandle into drought. The worst conditions were near the state line with Georgia, where the region falls into the worst drought category: “exceptional drought.”
As of the Nov. 26 U.S. Drought Monitor update, much of the eastern half of the Panhandle and the Big Bend region is in “extreme drought,” down from worst conditions. Things are not as bad in western Bay County, with much of Okaloosa and Walton counties in “severe drought.”
Things weren’t that bad in the Pensacola area, with parts of the metro falling into the “abnormally dry” to “none” category.
In the Panhandle, burn bans are in place in Bay, Washington, Calhoun and Liberty counties. As of the time of publication on Dec. 1, the FFS has labeled fire danger as “low” across the Panhandle. Over the Thanksgiving weekend, the region received some helpful but no drought relief rain.
When will we see rain?
The National Weather Service’s Tallahassee forecast office said in a Facebook post that more rain is expected early in the week of Dec. 1, with more rain also possible by the end of the week. Rainfall is expected to help but not end the drought.
Kitchen-Byram Drought Index values (essentially how dry the ground is) remain relatively high around the Panhandle. On December 1, Bay County had a KBDI of 635, indicating that 6.35 inches of widespread rainfall would be needed to return soils to saturated conditions. Showers early this week are expected to bring only 1.5 inches of rain to Panama City, according to the National Weather Service.
Streams in Econfina Creek, Choctawhatchee River and Chipola River remain below normal, according to the U.S. Geological Survey. The Climate Prediction Center’s seasonal forecast shows continued but improving drought conditions in Bay and Washington counties and much of the eastern Panhandle and Big Bend.
Possible severe weather on December 1st and 2nd
Meanwhile, there is a low risk of severe weather overnight on December 1 and into the morning of December 2.
“There is a chance of severe thunderstorms in parts of the Florida Panhandle, primarily near the coast, late tonight into early Tuesday morning,” a National Weather Service meteorologist wrote in a discussion of the forecast for our region. “One or two tornadoes and gusty winds are possible across the area.”
Behind the severe weather threat on December 2, temperatures are expected to drop over the next seven days. The low temperature is expected to reach 36 degrees Fahrenheit on the evening of December 2, with lows expected to remain in the 40s thereafter.
More information about drought conditions: Severe drought in Bay County issues burn ban
Even better news is that hurricane season is officially over and the Gulf Coast is unscathed. No further development is expected in the tropics.
This article originally appeared in The News-Herald: Multiple fires raging across Panhandle amid drought conditions