Despite seeing thunderstorms on Sunday, the rain barely made a dent in the drought across Northeast Florida and Southeast Georgia, and officials are urging residents to do their part to help reduce the risk of wildfires.

The National Wildfire Prevention and Education team arrived in Florida for a two-week assignment to increase awareness about the growing risk of wildfires amid worsening drought conditions throughout the state.

Flagler County declared a state of local emergency Friday and enacted a seven-day burn ban effective 5 p.m. as drought conditions and rising fire danger increase the risk of wildfires, county officials said.

As brush fires continue to burn across parts of Putnam County, one local woman found a simple way to say thank you to the firefighters working long hours to keep flames from spreading: cupcakes.

Homeowners are urged not to assume that recent rainfall has eliminated the risk of wildfires. Numerous housing developments in St. Johns County back up to wooded areas, increasing the likelihood of fire hazards.

As fire crews continue their efforts to battle the California wildfires, officials with the Northeast Florida chapter of the American Red Cross say the disaster is shining a light on the ongoing need for volunteers.

As we keep an eye on dangerous California winds and watch as firefighters battle the blaze, many have wondered—can ocean water be used to help battle the blaze?

Friday is the last day of Severe Weather Awareness Week in Florida, and to end this week, we will be talking about temperature extremes and wildfires.

The death toll has climbed to more than 100, and the photos below chronicle just how devastating the damage has been, particularly in the town of Lahaina.

If you want to help those devastated by the fires, you need to be smart with your money.

The state of Hawaii is dealing with enormous wildfires that are being caused by two competing weather systems hundreds of miles away.

Florida Highway Patrol is warning that a 5-acre wildfire in the area of US-1 and Datil Pepper Road in St. Johns County could affect travelers on Tuesday.

Florida’s Severe Weather Awareness Week runs from Feb. 7 to Feb. 11, and Friday’s focus is wildfires and extreme temperatures.

This past year has been a year for climate extremes. More frequent and intense wildfires in the West and dangerous flash flooding across the East.

Severe Weather Awareness Week is an opportunity for Floridians to learn about the various weather hazards that frequently impact the state and how families and businesses can prepare for these natural events. Each day focuses on a specific weather event. Friday’s topic is temperature extremes and wildfires.

A number of Northern California wildfires sent a thick, orange-glowing haze over the San Francisco area Wednesday, leaving the Bay in an eerie darkness. A fire burning in Butte County, located northeast of San Francisco, has forced thousands to evacuate from their homes, according to The Associated Press. (2020 Getty Images)An orange glow fills the sky above the Embarcadero in San Francisco. (2020 Getty Images)Smoke from various wildfires blankets the San Francisco skyline in darkness and an orange glow, seen from Treasure Island in San Francisco. (2020 Getty Images)An exterior view of the ballpark in San Francisco, California.

When determining fire risk, there are multiple variables that come together, including precipitation, relative humidity and wind and drought conditions. The Fire Danger Index map is a quick way for Florida residents to check the risk in their county. The first thing that weve got to look at is how many days since significant rainfall, so what is significant rainfall to us? Chase says that the Fire Danger Index is a quick reference guide to determine if you should burn or not. Burn bans across the state of Florida from the Florida Forest Service (Florida Forest Service)Both human elements and lightning are the main contributors to wildfires in the state of Florida.

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. – Drones could be deployed in state efforts to manage invasive species and address wildfire threats, under a proposal unanimously approved Wednesday by the House. “Currently, in the state of Florida we are facing an epidemic of invasive species destroying our local ecosystems, including the Everglades,” said bill sponsor Jason Fischer, R-Jacksonville. Law enforcement is also prohibited, with certain exceptions, from using drones to gather evidence or other information. Fischer’s proposal would allow the Florida Forest Service to use drones to mitigate the threat of wildfires on public lands. “Drones may be a more cost-effective way and more efficient way than current practices,” Fischer said.

SYDNEY – With nearly 500 million animals killed in the Australian wildfires, volunteers are needed to help knit mittens and joey pouches for koalas and kangaroos who have survived. The group crochets, knits and sews mittens for koalas whose paws have been burned, and pouches for orphaned kangaroos, reports WTVT. For those looking to help the animals, the Animal Rescue Craft Guild shares PDF designs with its members who use them to produce the mittens and pouches. A North Carolina group is also collecting homemade donations and sending them to the animals in need. The Carolina Waterfowl Rescue put out a list of what items are needed the most.

The bushfires in Australia are still ravaging parts of the country and are wreacking havoc on small communities and rural towns. The damage has been devastating and news of the bushfires has spread overseas with many activists and celebrities sharing photos of the devastation on social media. There are many different places where you can donate money to help with relief, and many celebrities have shared donation links and even donated themselves. I am totally devastated watching what is happening in Australia right now with the horrific bushfires. Another Australian actor, Russell Crowe, who is in Australia right now, posted that he donated $105,000 to firefighters.

By Thursday night the Yellow Water Fire had burned 450 acres and jumped over Interstate 95 just north of Pecan Park Road, forcing the highway to close.

The Forest Service first reported about 3 p.m. Wednesday that firefighters were working two wildfires off U.S. 17 and Yellow Bluff Road. The south fire was 40% contained by the Forest Service at that time, but it burned into the marsh. The Florida Department of Agriculture is assisting the Forest Service with the investigation into the cause. On the ground and in the air, crews are working around the clock to contain the Yellow Bluff Fire. Winter told News4Jax late Thursday afternoon that three spots of the Yellow Bluff Fire jumped over I-95 at some point.

NASSAU COUNTY, Fla. – A 450-acre wildfire that shut down I-95 for 11 miles in both directions Friday had an impact on school bus schedules in Nassau County. Nassau Emergency Management tweeted Friday that because of severe traffic in the Yulee area, buses serving U.S. 17 and adjoining streets experienced up to one-hour delays in bus pickup times. VIEW: Interactive Traffic Map and live DOT camsYulee Middle School officials told News4Jax that they were expecting a lot of students and school buses to arrive late Friday. I-95 reopened in both directions just before 11 a.m. Friday. MORE: Traffic detours affecting holiday travel through Northeast Florida

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – The Yellow Bluff Wildfire is impressive on so many levels. I spent nearly eight hours Thursday deep in the woods at the scene of the fire, talking to people who live close by. One property owner, Earl Allen, let us on his property to gain an up-close perspective of the destruction of the fire. “The smoke starting to come our way is starting to affect our breathing a little bit, but we’re doing fine," Allen said. Emergency responders, Florida Forest Service, FHP and JFRD, to name a few agencies, are doing an amazing job keeping people safe.

COLLIER COUNTY, Fla. – Alligator Alley was closed Monday afternoon due to a wildfire, the Florida Highway Patrol said. The fire near mile marker 41 forced the closure of a 57-mile stretch of the highway, according to Lt. Greg Buneo of FHP. Eastbound traffic was directed off the highway at Exit 80, and westbound traffic was diverted to Exit 23. The westbound entrance ramp from Exit 49 remained open, but the eastbound entrance was closed for several hours before reopening about 9:30 p.m.

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – Wildfire season is here and in full effect with the West Mims wildfire consuming 225 square miles along the Florida-Georgia border and expected to rage on for months. Follow these tips to reduce your risk from wildfire. Each of us can play a role in making our communities safer from wildfire. Practice using both evacuation routes in case one is blocked by smoke or fire. Wildfire burned more than 5.5 million acres in the U.S. last year.

Heat can often bring on heart attacks and strokes with 44 percent of all fatal accidents due to cardiac arrest. Through the end of the week temperatures will climb into the mid 90s with record heat. Drought dropped the swamp levels to critically low levels and now oily palmetto plants add fuel to the fire. It is directly related to the 24-hour, potential worst case available energy to fuel a fire at the front head. Currently the fire is 130,000 acres compared to over 310,000 acres consumed by fire between April through July of 2011.