The National Weather Service (NWS) issued a Fire Weather Watch for most of South Florida today, thanks to a combination of low humidity and gusty winds that have increased the risk of fires.
"With most of South Florida already under drought conditions, this will lead to enhanced fire weather concerns Thursday afternoon," the NWS wrote on X (formerly Twitter).
In other words, any small spark could quickly become a dangerous fire. The NWS has strongly advised against that outdoor burning.3/5 4PM - A Fire Weather Watch has been issued for most of South Florida in effect Thursday afternoon.
— NWS Miami (@NWSMiami) March 5, 2025
S FL will dry out quite a bit behind the frontal passage today leading to relative humidity in the upper 20% to lower 30% range tomorrow.
⚠️Outdoor burning is not recommended pic.twitter.com/GDb61foJMK
Around noon, multiple reports of smoke were recorded in Broward County. The smoke is reportedly coming from several fires in western Palm Beach County, according to NWS, and winds have carried it into parts of Broward.
In South Florida, a Fire Weather Watch is typically issued when relative humidity is forecast to be lower than 30 percent and sustained winds at 20 feet are forecast to be 15 mph or higher.
In light of the alert, Miami-Dade Fire Rescue has shared a list of ways to prevent fires (specifically grass fires), which includes keeping your landscape clear of dry or dead vegetation, clearing roofs of leaves and debris, and trimming branches overhanging your home.
The Fire Weather Watch will remain in effect until the evening for all of South Florida, according to the NWS..@NWSMiami has issued a Fire Weather Watch for #OurCounty from today until tomorrow evening, due to low humidity and windy conditions that increase the risk of grass fires.
— Miami-Dade Fire Rescue (@MiamiDadeFire) March 6, 2025
Stay #FireSafe by following these #MDFR tips and help prevent wildfires in our community. pic.twitter.com/KCEAeRwiG6
While the winds will subside by tomorrow, humidity will still remain low across parts of Southwest Florida.
About that aforementioned drought thing: Much of Florida has suffered lower-than-normal rainfall this year. In fact, according to Local 10, in a streak that ended a few weeks ago, Miami-Dade County went nearly 140 days without receiving more than an inch of rain in a single day.
