171 wildfires burning across Florida

Washington, March 8 (IANS) There are currently 171 wildfires burning more than 15,000 acres (about 6,070 hectares) throughout the southeasternmost US state of Florida, local authorities have said.Wildland firefighters and resources from numerous fire and emergency service departments are working to help suppression efforts, Xinhua news agency reported, citing an update by the Florida Forest Service.The biggest fire is ravaging Gulf County located in the Florida Panhandle, the northwest part of Florida, which is estimated at 12,000 acres (about 4,856 hectares) with containment at 10 per cent, as of Monday morning."The fire has shown extreme activity for two days as steady winds pushed the fire through thick, dry, and dead trees and vegetation left behind from Hurricane Michael," the Florida Forest Service added.Michael was a Category 5 hurricane which made landfall in the US in October 2018.The hurricane was directly responsible for 16 deaths and about $25 billion in damage in the nation, according to federal authorities.It also left behind 2.8 million acres (about 1.1 million hectares) of shredded and uprooted trees in the Florida Panhandle, increasing risks of wildfires in the region, officials said.
--IANS int/shs

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