JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – Amelia Island is home to the 54th annual Isle of Eight Flags Shrimp Festival but the Nations largest wildfire is raging just 50 miles west and smoke will flow to the coast this weekend.
Thursday showers and thunderstorms pushed across parts of the 111,650 acre fire site during the afternoon and evening which brought up to a half inch of rainfall over parts of the fire. It will take much more rain than that to put out a fire which started in early April.
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Smoke is more likely Saturday around Fernandina Beach during the afternoon compared to Sunday. NW winds should focus the plume toward southern Amelia Island and northern Duval.
A front passed ending rain chances through the weekend with cooler conditions, low humidity and westerly winds taking over. Dry conditions will last through next week with humidity increasing after Wednesday.
Heavier rain missed the fires with over an inch of rain falling over parts of Duval and St. Johns county. Storms picked up in intensity as they neared the coast leaving a gap of drier conditions east of highway 301 Thursday evening.
The next chance for rain is not this Saturday but next Saturday.