PUTNAM COUNTY, Fla. — The current drought and wildfire conditions in Florida are sparking a lot of comparisons to the 1998 wildfire season, which scorched half a million acres in Northeast Florida.
Action News Jax got an exclusive ride on a Florida State Guard Helicopter with Florida Director of Emergency Management Kevin Guthrie on Wednesday as he assessed the situation in Northeast Florida.
Up in the skies, though, we were able to observe the significant progress already being made in tackling the Railroad Fire in Putnam and Clay Counties.
That fire is more than halfway contained after just a few days.
Guthrie explained technology aboard firefighting aircraft has made great strides in the past few decades, which has been a big help.
“They have the ability to see through the haze, down to the flame and then it obviously helps them get closer to the fire. Get closer to getting water on the target,” said Guthrie.
Those capabilities were on full display during our aerial tour, as we observed a National Guard helicopter making a targeted drop on a hot spot burning in the Mondex Fire.
Guthrie said drones are also put into action to monitor hotspots at night using similar camera technology.
“Those are the types of technologies that have come light years in the last 20 years since the 1998 wildfires,” said Guthrie.
But there’s also new technology working behind the scenes.
Angie Enyedi with the National Weather Service Jacksonville said the have been major advancements in forecasting models, especially when it comes to wind.
She explained that those models have come into play in the current wildfire outbreak, giving teams on the ground a sense of where to pre-position crews.
“Given that weather parameter, and given the environment that the fire is in, what could that fire do?” said Enyedi. ”Is it gonna make a fast run or is it gonna skunk around and smolder in the swamp?”
And Guthrie argued that those advancements, combined with the hard work of crews in the air and on the ground, have helped prevent any loss of homes from the Railroad Fire so far.
“And certainly, looks like they’re about to get that thing contained and under control as they start what is referred to as mop-up operations,” said Guthrie.
While the fire appears well contained now, changes in the weather could change the situation at a moment’s notice.
Local officials said they’ll likely be on scene monitoring hotspots for weeks to come.
>>> STREAM ACTION NEWS JAX LIVE <<<
[DOWNLOAD: Free Action News Jax app for alerts as news breaks]
[SIGN UP: Action News Jax Daily Headlines Newsletter]
Click here to download the free Action News Jax news and weather apps, click here to download the Action News Jax Now app for your smart TV and click here to stream Action News Jax live.