Putnam County had 12 fires in 1 week | Florida Forest Service says a lack of hurricanes could be why

Florida is experiencing an unusual surge in winter wildfires due to severe drought conditions and the absence of tropical storms in the previous season, according to state forestry officials. Over just the last week, Putnam County had 12 fires. “We did see a rapid increase in wildfire occurrence throughout Florida, but definitely here in north central Florida over the weekend,” said Ludie Bond, Public Information Officer with the Florida Forest Service. Bond explained that a combination of severe to extreme drought conditions, recent hard freezes that cured grasses, and extremely strong winds led to the increase in fire activity. Reporter Sophia Vitello has the latest.