Florida: Mud Lake Complex of Fires

(UPDATED at 2:03 EDT, May 17, 2015)

Mud Lake Fire
Mud Lake Fire May 16, 2015 Photo by Jason Longfellow, Florida Forest Service.

No current information is available on the Mud Lake Fire, since Inciweb is broken.

Mud Lake Fire
Mud Lake Fire May 16, 2015 Photo by Jason Longfellow, Florida Forest Service.

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(UPDATED at 12:12 p.m. EDT, May 15, 2015)

Mud Lake Complex of Fires
Mud Lake Fire Complex. Photo by Jason Longfellow, Florida Forest Service.

The Mud Lake Complex of six fires in Big Cypress National Preserve in south Florida grew by more than 3,000 acres on Thursday and has now been mapped at 7,689 acres.

Currently the tactics include monitoring, as well as protection of structures, red-cockaded woodpecker trees, and panther habitat. Strategic firing operations will be employed when opportunities exist.

Firefighters are saying it will continue to burn until seasonal rains raise the water table.

Map of Mud Lake Fire Complex
Map of Mud Lake Fire Complex, at 3:11 a.m. EDT May 15. The red and yellow squares represent heat detected by a satellite.

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(Originally published at 11:09 a.m. EDT, May 14, 2015)

Mud Lake Complex wildfire
One of the fires in the Mud Lake Complex in Big Cypress National Preserve. NPS photo.

Big Cypress National Preserve in south Florida has six fires managed as the Mud Lake Complex, that together have burned 4,049 acres thirty miles east of Naples. The fires were started by lightning between May 8 and May 12 both north and south of Interstate 75 (Alligator Alley). Their remote location makes access for ground crews difficult, so firefighters have been primarily fighting the fires by dropping water from aircraft.

“Although some areas of the fire received spotty showers [Tuesday], the water table has dropped to an extremely low level in Big Cypress Preserve”, said Bob Sobczak, Big Cypress Hydrologist. “Therefore, the entire ecosystem is relatively dry and susceptible to fire until the water table rises” .

Southeast winds continue to push fire toward Interstate 75, while thunderstorms have also been affecting the fire behavior.

Suppression efforts on the ground will be limited until accessibility allows safe access for firefighters.

As of Tuesday night, resources working the fires included two hand crews, four swamp buggies, three engines, six helicopters, one single engine air tanker, and an air attack.

On Thursday morning Wallace’s Type 3 Incident Management Team transitioned to Dueitt’s Southern Area Red Type 1 Team.

Map of Mud Lake Complex May 13, 2015
Map of Mud Lake Complex May 13, 2015. NPS.

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Author: Bill Gabbert

After working full time in wildland fire for 33 years, he continues to learn, and strives to be a Student of Fire.

One thought on “Florida: Mud Lake Complex of Fires”

  1. Just left there today had a great 16 days I’m now a EQuipt Manager all sighed off what a great group of firefighters, be safe every one .

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