Fire fighters are battling several wildfires around Northeast Florida. The Florida Forest Service says 20 fires are burning in the region Monday.
The fires are causing significant problems for residents.
When Linda Brenner got to work at the St. Johns Grammar School in Switzerland, she says the smell of smoke was overwhelming.
“It’s like a really heavy-wooded fire burning, and you sort of want to cover your nostrils because the smell is so heavy,” she said. “You don’t feel safe in breathing it.”
She says conditions are so bad that kids in the school’s summer camp are being kept from outdoor activities.
“As the day has gone on, it's gotten heavier and we’re actually experiencing ash falling in the air,” she said.
As of Monday afternoon, firefighters had nearly contained a 30-acre fire nearby. Florida Forest Service spokeswoman Annaleasa Winter says while it’s normal to expect drier conditions just before the wetter summer, certain parts of the region are in severe drought.
“That’s a little unusual and a little unnerving for this time of year,” she said.
She also says until the region gets long, significant amounts of rain, the risk of wildfires remains high.
“Pretty soon we’ll have more water than we know what to do with and things will be wrapped up shortly,” she said.
Fires continue burning in Clay, Duval and Putnam counties.
