Wildfire Awareness Week Brings Urgent Call for Preparedness

Florida Commissioner of Agriculture Wilton Simpson and the Florida Forest Service are urging residents to prepare for an active wildfire season. April 6–12 marks Florida Wildfire Awareness Week, and this year comes with an “above normal wildfire potential,” according to the National Interagency Fire Center.

So far in 2025, more than 1,000 wildfires have burned over 51,000 acres in the state. Several counties have enacted burn bans, and Red Flag Warnings have been issued across multiple regions.

Commissioner Simpson encourages Floridians not to wait until smoke is in the air—create defensible space, prep emergency supplies, and follow local burn laws. Florida Forest Service Director Rick Dolan adds that leftover hurricane debris and low rainfall forecasts could make conditions even riskier this spring.

Prescribed fire remains one of the state’s best tools. In the last year, the Florida Forest Service set a record with nearly 278,000 acres treated on State Forests—more than double the year prior.

To learn how to reduce your wildfire risk, visit BeWildfireReadyFL.com, and for current wildfire activity, check out FDACS.gov/CurrentWildfires.