A growing wildfire near the Clay–Putnam county line has left smoke lingering across nearby neighborhoods, including along White Tail Trail, where scorched patches of land and haze show how close the fire has come to homes.

The community is stepping up to support the firefighters battling a 4,000-acre wildfire as they work to protect homes and businesses.

The massive Railroad Fire burning near the Clay–Putnam County line continues to grow—now spanning around 3,000 acres and only about 10% contained.

Due to a combination of the dry ground, low humidity and gusty wind a Red Flag Warning (Fire Weather Warning) is in effect. This warning covers a large part of our area generally along and west of the St. Johns River.

Two wildfires burning in North Florida merged Saturday into a single blaze now known as the Railroad Fire, prompting evacuations, road closures and railway suspensions across Clay and Putnam counties.

St. Johns County has issued a countywide burn ban effective immediately through April 27, 2026, due to extreme drought conditions and elevated wildfire risk across Northeast Florida.

The Railroad Fire in northern Putnam County, north of Bostwick and east of US 17, is prompting evacuation orders from Putnam County Emergency Management.

Alachua County declared a local state of emergency as multiple wildfires burned near Gainesville, forcing road closures and neighborhood evacuations while officials warned that dangerous drought conditions could persist for weeks.

Two wildfires raging near the Clay-Putnam County lines that are expected to merge into one massive 3,000-acre blaze have effectively shut down all Amtrak traffic in and out of Florida.

Two fast-moving brush fires burning near the Clay–Putnam County line are growing into a single large fire burning more than 3,000 acres, threatening structures and forcing voluntary evacuations, according to Florida Forestry Service spokesperson Dr. Ludie Bond.