Florida meteorologists told emergency officials Monday is approaching drought conditions - the state last saw in 1954 and 1955.
And if you lived in Florida in the late 90s - you may remember when the state saw devastating fires, that burned 500,000 acres across Florida.
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Under the right conditions, a wildfire can start quickly.
The formula: a Spark, like a cigarette butt + Fuel like dry grass + Oxygen = a fire that starts and then strong winds, drought and heat plus low humidity can keep that wildfire going to devastating consequences - like the wildfires of 1998.
RELATED: FROM THE VAULT: 1998 report on Westside wildfire
The fires of 1998, called the “Florida Firestorms,” lasted from April to July, burning almost 500,000 acres. FEMA reported of 300 million in timber loss alone and an additional 80 million in firefighting.
From Jacksonville to Titusville - I-95 was closed on July 4th. Fireworks were banned. The counties along I-95 were impacted the most.
News4Jax viewers remember it too. Comments poured into our Facebook page - some include:
“I was on the front line in 98 south of Green Cove...I would go help fight this fire if they need me once a firefighter always a firefighter.” - William Meeks III.
“Firefighters saved my house in Volusia County. It came within 8ft of our door. Burned all our property. Forever grateful...”- Jan Johnston Klindt Consiglio.
“I remember the ash that rained down on us in Middleburg from those 98′ fires”- Ashley Fitzmeyer.
MORE: Railroad Fire grows to 3,000 acres, draws response from Florida National Guard
The wildfires in Clay and Putnam County right now are not as bad, but they’ve brought flashbacks for some long-term first responders.
Clay County Fire Rescue Chief Lorin Mock said he experienced similar conditions in 1998, when he served as Chief of Operations for Jacksonville Fire and Rescue.
“I told crews last night these conditions remind me of the rapid-fire progression we saw then,” Mock said.
Kevin Guthrie, the Executive Director of Florida Emergency Management, was working with the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office during the 1998 wildfires — and said he remembers it vividly.
“We were up and down Interstate 95 doing traffic roadblocks. I was assigned to the traffic unit at the time,” Guthrie said.
Now, he’s monitoring the 2026 wildfire season.
“I told Chief Mock — who I worked for at one point in Jacksonville — this has a very ’98 feel to it,” Guthrie said. “The difference is we’ve got a lot more technology now.”
Guthrie said first responders are working around the clock to stay ahead of the fires and keep them under control, using newer tools and strategies.
And for those who lived through 1998, there’s one thing they agree on: they don’t want to go through it again.
Click here for all state resources for wildfires and maps.
For more information on the 1998 wildfires, click here.